A Second Chance At Love
by Dragon1974UK
Summary: What if Fate gave you a second chance at love? What if you had the opportunity to start over? Would you take it? When an attacker leaves Bella close to death and with no memory, can Edward save her from himself and the assassin before it's too late?
1. Prologue

**A/N: This is my first FanFic based on a story that has been sitting on my computer gathering dust for sometime now. Since I have become a fan of Twilight I decided to change the names of my characters and publish a chapter to see what the response would be. All comments (good and bad) are welcomed but please remember, I am new at this and have never displayed my work to the public.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Twilight Characters. Only the story surrounding them, and the fictional locations and characters not created by the Author of the Twilight Saga, Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement intended. Reproduction of this story in part or as a whole is strictly forbidden.**

**_When Death comes knocking will you answer?_**

**_When Death comes calling will you unlock the door?_**

**_Will you embrace death, face it head on or....RUN?_**

**_Lou (2009)_**

**Prologue**

Bella Swan turned the key in the lock and pushed open the door with her right shoulder. She balanced the two bags of groceries on her hip and stepping inside, kicked the door shut. She breathed a sigh of relief when she deposited her burden on the kitchen table and flipped the light on with a flick of her wrist.

The sudden brightness of the light made Bella's eyes tear and she blinked furiously. She then proceeded to open one of the bags and put the groceries away.

A sudden noise made her whirl around and she chuckled softly when Charlie, her pet poodle ran into the kitchen dragging his red leash behind him. She picked him up and kissed his snowy white head.

"Sorry Charlie, not tonight." she said and felt a tug at her heart when he looked at her with sorrowful eyes.

She set him on the floor, went to get his dinner and gave it to him. All thoughts of a walk fled from Charlie's mind as he dug eagerly into his food. She gave him another pat on the head and then proceeded up the spiral staircase to take a shower.

***~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~***

Bella stepped out of the shower, pulled on her pink knee-length robe and began to run a towel through the curls of her short, brown hair.

As soon as she walked into her bedroom, she knew that something was wrong. Every night after his dinner, Charlie always came into her room and fell asleep on the bed. Tonight however, he was nowhere to be seen and the hair on the back of Bella's neck stood on end.

"Charlie." she called and receiving no answer, went over to the bedroom door. "Charlie, where are you?"

She heard a small whine coming from the cellar and breathing a sigh of relief, she made her way to the cellar.

"That's the fourth time this month Charlie. When are you going to learn to open doors like Lassie?"

She opened the door, carefully felt her way down the stairs and felt around in mid air for the string that turned on the light. It brushed against her fingers and she tugged on it. To her surprise, the room remained dark and then she realised that Charlie's whine had ceased. She sensed a slight movement to her left and turned towards it.

"Charlie, is that you?" she whispered into the darkness and found herself backing away. She felt the wooden rail of the stairs against her back and for some reason that she could not explain, she felt trapped. "This is not funny Charlie. I'm going back upstairs and it's no biscuits for a week."

Bella was about to put her foot on the first step when she was grabbed from behind. She screamed and began to struggle with her attacker. Her cries for help drew to an abrupt halt when she felt cold steel pressed against her throat. Her attacker gave a growl of approval and pressed the knife harder into the soft flesh of her throat.

"Good girl. I wouldn't want to have to slit that pretty throat of yours."

"Please don't hurt me." she pleaded.

She could feel the rough texture of the man's jeans against the backs of her legs and she shuddered slightly. There was silence and when the man's grip slackened slightly, Bella took that opportunity and elbowed him in the ribs. He groaned when her elbow caught him in the solar plexus.

She pushed away from him and drew in a sharp intake of breath when she felt the knife puncture the soft, vulnerable skin of her throat.

Bella fled up the stairs and was about to push the door open when she felt a hand close round her ankle. She screamed as she fell to the floor and whimpered when her forehead hit the door. She felt herself being dragged down into the yawning cavern of the dark cellar and kicked her legs furiously.

She was rewarded when her foot hit flesh and bone and she tried to pull away. After what seemed to be an eternity, she felt her ankle slip out of his grasp and scrambled up the remainder of steps.

A thousand thoughts thundered through Bella's mind as she darted through the dark living room and made her way into the kitchen.

She squashed herself between the refrigerator and the cupboard and picked up the telephone. Her cramped fingers dialed the familiar number and she prayed that he would answer.

"Please answer Edward." she whispered desperately and almost cried in frustration when his answering machine came on.

She put the receiver onto the counter and tried to gather her scattered thoughts. Bella was certain that the man could hear her laboured breathing and suddenly, she felt a burning sensation on her throat. She put her hand to the injured area and almost groaned out loud when she something warm coated her fingers.

Bella knew that she had to get out of the house and took the chance and scooted over to the back door. She tugged at the handle and all hope of escaping vanished when she realised that the door was locked. Her fingers brushed the keyhole and she came to the startling discovery that the key had been broken off inside the lock.

Getting to the floor, she crawled over to one of the cupboards and opened it quietly. She felt around inside and felt the smooth wooden handle of the baseball bat that Edward had given to her four years ago. She knew that at any moment, her attacker could discover her location and she pulled the bat towards her.

She felt perspiration run down between her breasts and she belly crawled over to the door that separated the kitchen from the dining room.

She listened for the sound of footsteps and hearing nothing, she got up and ran towards the bathroom. The open bathroom door loomed into her line of vision and she almost shouted with relief when she got inside.

Locking the door behind her, she quietly closed the lid of the toilet and prayed that it would not break when she stood on it. She got on top of the toilet and proceeded to open the window.

Her heart skipped a beat when she heard the sound of a body being slammed against the door.

"Why are you making this so difficult Isabella?" he asked her.

Through the haze of her panicked thoughts, she heard him call her name and quickly tried to think who he was.

The sound of the door beginning to splinter galvanised Bella into action and she tried to haul herself up and out through the window.

After that, everything happened in slow motion. The door gave way and before Bella could pull herself through the window, she felt his hands on her hips. She fought like an insane person but felt herself being pulled back inside.

He grabbed her by the hair and proceeded to drag her into the living room. Her wildly kicking legs hit something and she heard a resounding crash.

"You had to make this difficult didn't you?" he demanded gruffly. "You never did know when to quit."

"What do you want?" she screamed at him and cried out when his hand tightened in her hair.

A thousand daggers of pain shot throughout her skull and she tried unsuccessfully to stand.

Bella was momentarily blinded when without any warning, the light was switched on. His grip loosened in her hair and the pain in her head lessened.

When she looked up at her assailant from her position on the floor, she gasped loudly. He was approximately six feet tall, of medium build and for a common thug, he was neatly dressed.

Her gaze went to his face which was covered by a navy ski mask and she swallowed painfully when she realised that she would never get a chance to see his face.

He yanked her hair upwards in an attempt to make her stand and Bella felt her eyes begin to burn with tears.

"What are you going to do to me?" she asked when he had dragged her to her feet.

"What do you think?" he sneered.

Bella's eyes widened in fear. "Please, don't rape me."

The man's laughter sent chills racing up Bella's spine and she stepped backwards involuntarily. The man apparently thought that she was trying to escape and quickly back handed her.

The blow careened her backwards and he released her hair. She fell to the floor in a heap and tasted blood in her mouth. Ripples of pain danced across Bella's face and she wiped away a thin stream of blood that had escaped from her mouth.

She was about to make another attempt at escape when he grabbed the back of her robe and pulled her to her feet. He smiled smugly and looked down at the front of her robe, which was partly open exposing her nude body.

"As much as I would like too, it's not part of the plan."

"What plan?" she asked fearfully.

He pulled out a gun from the waistband of his jeans and positioned it against her head. "The plan to kill you." he answered simply and Bella's heart plummeted to her feet.

Charlie chose that precise moment to come out of his hiding place and the man's attention was momentarily drawn to the little dog. The poodle began to bark furiously and grabbed hold of the man's pants leg.

Bella wrenched herself free from the man and attempted to run to the front door. There were two muffled explosions and she heard Charlie give a sharp bark of pain. A split second later, she felt a sharp stinging pain rip through her leg and she tumbled to the ground. She looked down at her leg and screamed when she realised that her leg was bleeding profusely.

She began to inch away as best as she could and had to grit her teeth as shards of pain ricocheted throughout her bruised and battered body.

She had just reached the table when he located her position and bore down on her. She felt the handle of the gun glance off the side of her head and she groaned when for a few seconds, her vision blurred.

When her vision cleared slightly, she realised that he was standing over her and she wondered if Charlie was alive.

"Why are you doing this?" she croaked.

His cold grey eyes blinked uncertainly and then he aimed the gun at her chest. "It's what I do."

And with that, his finger squeezed the trigger. There was another muted explosion, a brief moment of intense pain and then everything went black.

**TBC??**

**So what do you think? Should I put up another chapter or quit while I am ahead? If you say continue, fear not Edward will definately be in the next chapter..loads of him LOL. **

**Please note that I am from the UK so my spelling is not the American version. Sorry.  
**

**If the decision is for me to continue I will begin to make a playlist to accompany each chapter. Please make some suggestions for some songs.  
**


	2. Priorities I Have But ONE!

**A/N: Thanks so much to those who reviewed the last chapter and added me to their alerts, favourite story/Author. However, this particular chapter is dedicated to a very special and talented Author – 5t4c3y. Her stories have given me inspiration and without her, I would not have found the courage to put my first FanFic on the site. Thank you, thank you!! Please visit her FanFic page, read her stories and give her loads of reviews (she really deserves them).**

**As promised I have begun a playlist and the song for this chapter is called **_**'Mystery of You**_**' by **_**Red**_** (see full song at the end of the chapter). Very appropriate I think for Edward's frame of mind. **

**Anyhow, enough with the chat and onto the next chapter.  
**

_**Previously on A Second Chance At Love.............**_

_"Why are you doing this?" she croaked._

_His cold grey eyes blinked uncertainly and then he aimed the gun at her chest. "It's what I do."_

_And with that, his finger squeezed the trigger. There was another muted explosion, a brief moment of intense pain and then everything went black._

**  
Chapter 2 – Priorities – I Have But ONE**

The glass doors slid silently shut behind Edward Cullen and he made his way towards the information desk. A nurse with dark hair and flashing blue eyes smiled friendly at him and he nodded.

"Good afternoon sir, how may I help you?" she asked her voice almost a purr.

Completely ignoring the obvious come on, Edward felt around in his coat pocket and pulled out his wallet. The overwhelming sterile and antiseptic smell of the hospital was beginning to get to him and he felt his stomach perform an ominous roll. He drew in a deep breath in an attempt to quiet his stomach but immediately realised his mistake.

"Federal Agent Edward Cullen." he showed the nurse his identification and then returned it to his pocket. "I understand that a woman was brought in yesterday with multiple gunshot wounds."

The nurse sighed in disappointment, turned to one of the three computers located on the desk and after tapped a few keys on the keyboard, returned her attention to him.

"Can I have a name?" she asked.

"Isabella Swan."

"Yes, she's a patient of Dr Masen."

Relief coursed through Edward when he heard that she was still alive. Some of the tension ebbed out of his body and he said a silent prayer of thanks.

"I would appreciate it if you would locate Dr Masen."

While the nurse paged the doctor, Edward took up position beside a window in the lobby and stared outside. The sunny weather did not match Edward's mood and he wished that Dr Masen would hurry and answer the page.

Edward still found it hard to believe that anyone would try to hurt Bella. He rubbed the back of his neck in an agitated motion and vowed that he would never fly in another plane. He hated to admit it but the trip from Seattle to Vancouver, in addition to the constant worrying over Bella had given him a headache.

When he had received the call that Bella had been critically injured, he had jumped on the first flight to Vancouver. He sighed when he thought about what his supervisors must be saying about him now. He had run out on a very important case and he would be lucky to find that he still had a job when he returned home.

Upon his arrival, Edward had picked up his rental car – a Volvo much to his chagrin, and driven directly to the police station. When he had identified himself as a Federal Agent, everyone had started to go out of their way to please him. If he had been in a better mood, he would have found it amusing, instead, it irritated him.

Detective Harry Clearwater, a middle aged man with russet coloured skin, salt and pepper hair and coal black eyes, had come out of his office and gestured for him to come inside. Before the detective could have seated himself behind his desk, Edward had bombarded him with questions.

Clearwater had eyed him with a mixture of amusement and disbelief and when Edward had finished, he began to given him the details of the case. With each passing word, Edward became angrier and more agitated. The very thought that someone had tried to kill Bella almost made him sick to his stomach.

The strange thing about the entire incident was the lack of motive and that bothered Edward considerably.

He had no intention of waiting for Detective Clearwater to find a lead. If he waited on the police, the person that attacked Bella could get away and he was not about to let that happen. He was going to find out why it happened, who was responsible and deal with them personally.

Edward was so deep in thought that he did not hear the sound of approaching footsteps draw to a halt behind him.

"Mr. Cullen?" a female voice laced with a slight British accent asked uncertainly.

Edward turned in the direction of the voice and was a bit surprise to see a woman approximately 5ft 7 inches in height with long, curly red hair standing there. She smiled at him and then held out her hand.

"I'm Doctor Victoria Masen." she said and when he remained silent, her smile disappeared. "Are you alright?"

He gave her a slightly sheepish look. "I'm fine. I'm sorry if I seem to be rude but you're not quite what I was expecting."

Her smile returned and she again extended her hand. "I've heard that before."

Edward shook her hand. "I'm here to check on one of your patients."

"Isabella." she said gravely. "Why don't you come with me?"

Edward followed Dr Masen down the corridor and into an elevator. The ride up to the third floor was made in silence and a feeling of dread came over him. A vivid picture of him on his way to an Executioner's chair flashed through his mind and he groaned silently. The quiet of the hospital was driving him crazy and for the first time in a long time, he felt like screaming.

The elevator came to a halt and they stepped out. The sound of Dr Masen's spectacles knocking against the small, pearl like buttons of her blouse walked across Edward's nerves with little cat's feet. He hated hospitals and if it was anyone else other than Bella or a member of his family, he would not have come near here. Hospitals brought back too many memories of what he had lost four years before. Amazing thing was that his father was a Doctor back in Seattle, but he had always managed to avoid visiting him at work.

Dr Masen stopped outside a door at the end of the corridor and turned to him. She gave him an apologetic smile and then put on her glasses.

"She's unconscious and we have her sedated so, don't be expecting too much." she warned and opened the door.

Edward, however, was not prepared for the sight that greeted him. Bella looked so small and helpless that it immediately brought tears to his eyes. There was a tube in her mouth attached to a respirator and a machine which monitored the erratic beats of her heart was located beside the bed. There was a bandage around her head and her face was swollen and shadowed black and blue.

As he walked slowly over to the bed and looked down at her, he felt undiluted sorrow and rage fill him. There was another bandage around her throat and he sank into the chair which had been placed beside the bed. He ran a hand through his dishevelled bronze coloured hair and took her limp left hand in his. He gave a strangled sob and then returned his attention to the doctor.

"Is she going to be okay?" he whispered.

Dr Masen walked over to the foot of the bed and took up a chart. She glanced through it and then gave Edward an encouraging look.

"She's still in critical condition, but she's stable." When Edward did not look happier, she sighed.

"Mr. Cullen, we're doing the very best that we can."

He nodded. "I know. Tell me what happened."

Dr Masen walked over to the drip that was attached to Bella's right hand and adjusted the flow.

"Bella was shot in the leg and the upper left region of the chest. The bullet missed her heart by about 2 centimetres. She has a laceration on the neck and bruises throughout her body." Dr Masen explained.

"Why so many bruises?" Edward asked and glanced at Bella's swollen face.

"I'd say that she put up one hell of a fight. She also has a concussion and from what we can see, it was inflicted with a blunt object," she paused. "Maybe the handle of a gun."

Suddenly, a thought so horrible came to his mind that he felt as if a giant hand was wrapped around his stomach. He swallowed past the lump in his throat and then looked at Dr. Masen.

"Was she...sexually assaulted?" he asked.

Dr Masen smiled to herself. "No, there was no evidence."

"Thank God." he said in a relieved tone of voice.

There was a beeping sound and Dr Masen pulled her pager from the pocket of her coat. She looked at it, pressed a button and the beeping stopped.

"I'm sorry but I have to take a call. You can stay for as long as you like and if you need anything, just ask them to page me." she said and with that she walked away.

Edward looked down at Bella's limp hand and slowly brought it to his lips. Her skin felt warm and soft against his and he sighed softly. He was so deep in thought that he did not realise that Dr Masen had not left the room, but was watching him intently. She cleared her throat and he looked at her with a startled expression on his face.

"I don't mean to pry, but this is not exactly within FBI jurisdiction. Why the interest?"

Edward returned his attention to the woman in the bed. "She's very important to me."

Dr Masen looked a little curious. "Why?"

"She's my ex-wife."

Dr Masen nodded in understanding and then quietly left the room. Edward shrugged out of his coat and loosened his tie. Seeing Bella laying there, her usual glowing skin almost translucent brought tears to his eyes.

"I deserted you four years ago and as God is my witness, I won't do it again. When I find the bastard who did this to you, I'm going to make him pay." he swore.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

**_  
Mystery of You by Red_**

You always said we'd meet again  
You always said you'd be here (Where are you now?)  
You touched the deepest part of me  
The places I could not see  
Just tell me why I'm so dark inside

(Chorus)

_  
Somewhere I will find  
All the pieces torn apart  
You just left behind  
In your mystery  
Somewhere I will see  
All you've taken from me  
All you kept deep inside  
In the mystery of you  
The mystery of you_

It's obvious you understand  
The blood that's on my hands (Where are you now?)  
I'm paralyzed, I can't escape  
Until I see your face  
Don't leave me all alone  
You're all I know

(Chorus)

You're all I know  
You're all I know

Don't go, don't go  
Somewhere I will find  
All the pieces torn apart  
You've hidden deep inside  
The mystery of you  
Somewhere, somewhere  
The mystery of you  
Somewhere

**A/N: Please READ and REVIEW even if it's just to say EWWWW lol. I hope I hit the correct note with this chapter but you can let me know what you think. All comments are again welcomed and I promise to update again during the weekend. As for the comment about Edward's rental car, my apology to all Volvo lovers.**


	3. The Day My World Stood Still

**A/N: Thanks so much to those who read and reviewed the last chapter. I am beginning to feel a bit more confident but I beg you.... if you read, PLEASE review. Reviews make us all happy and by them I know that my story is appreciated and I can guarantee I will update quicker.**

**I want to say a special thank you to FumansGrl (I hope you feel better soon), Stupid-volvo-owner, malana09 and last but by no means least 5t4c3y. Please visit her FanFic page, read her stories and give her loads of reviews.**

**The song for this chapter is called **_**'Fragile**_**' by **_**Sting**_** and I have put the lyrics at the end of the chapter. Forgive me but I am a bit of a **_**Sting**_** fan lol. **

**Oh Yeah!! I want to apologise for **_**'bashing'**_** the Volvo in my last chapter but that car drives me crazy and not in a good way. Also just to clarify, Bella lives in Vancouver, BC not Vancouver, Washington.**

**Now that I have bored you to tears and cleared up all the la dee dah, let's get a move on...**

_**Previously on A Second Chance At Love.............**_

_"She's my ex-wife."_

_Dr Masen nodded in understanding and then quietly left the room. Edward shrugged out of his coat and loosened his tie. Seeing Bella laying there, her usual glowing skin almost translucent brought tears to his eyes._

_"I deserted you four years ago and as God is my witness, I won't do it again. When I find the bastard who did this to you, I'm going to make him pay." he swore._

**Chapter 3 – The Day **_**My**_** World Stood Still**

Two weeks later, Bella was still unconscious and Edward was reaching the end of his rope. He had rented a room in a hotel situated near the hospital, but he only visited it to shower and change. He had spent every waking hour with Bella and Dr Masen was becoming very worried about him. She had tried to persuade him to get more sleep and eat better, but he had just dismissed her with the wave of a hand.

The day after his arrival, Edward had contacted his supervisor in Seattle and had explained what had happened. He had been sympathetic towards the entire situation but he was angry because Edward had chosen to disappear without requesting leave or informing the Bureau as to his whereabouts.

He had apologised and had then asked for a leave of absence. At that point, he had had to take the telephone away from his ear because of the shouting and swearing that had been coming from the other end of the line. In the end, his request had been granted and Edward had promised to make up for lost time when he returned.

Edward sighed, shoved his hands into the pockets of his faded jeans and continued to stare out of the window. The bright sunny day had disappeared and was replaced by dark, angry clouds. There was a brilliant flash of lightning, an ear splitting crash of thunder and then the rain began to fall in torrents. The weather matched Edward's mood precisely and for probably the hundredth time, he sent a prayer winging upwards that Bella would come out of the coma she had lapsed into the night of his arrival.

He had been scared many times in the past few years, but nothing had terrified him as much as when Bella's heart had stop beating. The minute or so it had taken to re-start her heart had seemed like an eternity to him and when everything had finished, Dr Masen had taken him aside and calmly told him that Bella had slipped into a coma.

That had been ten days ago and Edward was trying unsuccessfully to prepare himself for the worst possible scenario. He had lost her before but he was unsure if he could take losing her again to something as final as death.

Edward closed the shutters slightly and then went back to his post beside Bella's bed. Bella's breathing was quiet and even and he brushed away a few strands of brown hair that had managed to make their way onto her forehead.

He sat on the chair, took her hand in his and gently massaged it. He could feel the fine bones of her hand shifting under her skin and he kissed her palm.

"Please Bella, don't die on me." he whispered and felt a single tear run down his cheek.

Suddenly, Edward felt a slight pressure on his hand and when he looked down, he realised that Bella's hand was gripping his. His eyes riveted to her face but he felt his hope plummet when he saw that her eyes remained closed.

He was just about to relax again when he felt the pressure on his hand intensify. His gaze moved from their clasped hands to her face and he drew in a sharp breath when he saw that her eyes were open. They focused on him briefly and then darted away towards the machines that had been her lifeline for the past two weeks.

Edward picked up the phone and quickly dialed the extension for the doctor's lounge. Dr Masen picked up the phone on the fourth ring.

"Dr Masen here." she greeted in a somewhat groggy voice.

"Bella's awake." he almost yelled and felt himself grinning like an idiot.

Dr Masen became instantly alert. "I'll be right up."

When Dr Masen got upstairs and into the room, Bella was staring at Edward with a frightened expression on her face. Edward was standing beside the bed and Dr Masen could see that Bella's reaction towards him had come as a shock. He gave her an almost beseeching look.

"How is she?" she asked the nurse who was checking Bella's vitals.

"She's doing great but the tube in her throat is making her a bit uncomfortable." the nurse said and handed Bella's chart to the doctor.

Dr Masen went over to Bella and gave her a reassuring smile. Bella's chocolate brown eyes shifted from Edward to Dr Masen and out of the corner of her eye, the doctor could see that Edward was fidgeting.

"Bella, I'm Dr Victoria Masen. I know this all seems frightening, but everything is going to be okay. We'll remove the tube later today, you can get some rest and then you can try to talk to us. Is that okay?"

Bella gave the doctor an apprehensive look and then gave a slight nod. Her eyelids drooped and then closed.

Dr Masen returned the chart to its slot at the foot of the bed and gestured for Edward to follow her outside. He hesitated, looked at Bella's sleeping form and then followed.

"What happened in there?" she asked him when he had closed the door behind him.

He shrugged. "I don't know. She woke up, looked at me and just panicked."

"She's scared."

Edward rubbed his neck in agitation. "I know. It's just that I never thought her first reaction to me would be fear."

Dr Masen sighed and patted him on the shoulder. "Just give her some time. We'll see what happens when I take the tube out."

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~***

Edward stepped out of the elevator and walked slowly towards Bella's room. A part of him was delirious with joy at the thought that she was going to be okay, but another part of him was terrified. Bella's eyes had told him everything he had needed to know. She was afraid of him and she had not forgiven him for what had happened four years ago. That knowledge alone almost broke his heart.

He had spoken to Detective Clearwater shortly before his arrival at the hospital and he was not surprised when he had been told that there had been no new leads in the case. He had muttered his thanks in an angry voice and had then proceeded to punch the steering wheel of the car. He flexed the fingers of his still sore hand and drew to an abrupt halt outside of the door.

He was about to knock when the door was yanked open. Dr Masen was wearing a huge smile and she quickly drew him inside. Bella was staring out of the window and he observed the bandage surrounding her head as well as the tube, had disappeared.

"You have very good timing." she said and smiled broadly at the gift that had accompanied him. "Nice flowers."

Edward stared blankly at the bouquet of white roses and freesia clutched in his hand and momentarily forgetting to whom they belonged, handed them over to the doctor.

"For me?" she asked amused.

He grinned sheepishly. "No, they're for Bella."

"Why don't you give them to her yourself?" she suggested and returned them to him.

Edward walked over to the bed and then turned to look at the doctor. She gave him an encouraging smile and gestured for him to say something.

Bella's attention shifted from the scenery outside the window to Edward and her lip quivered slightly. He sat in the chair and pointed to the flowers.

"I brought these for you. I hope you like them." he said softly.

Bella stared at the flowers for a few seconds and then she reached out tentatively and took one. She brought it to her nose, sniffed and then smiled slightly.

"Thank you." she whispered in a slightly hoarse voice.

Dr Masen came over to them and patted Edward on the shoulder. She glanced at Bella and saw that a look of uncertainty was stamped on her almost perfectly healed face.

"You are a very lucky lady. Edward has been here for you day and night." she said.

Bella stared at Edward and suddenly, her eyes filled with tears. A broken sob made its way past her lips and she turned her head away from them.

Dr Masen and Edward looked at each other in alarm and then Edward reached out and took Bella's hand in his. She stiffened slightly and then offered no further resistance.

"Bella, what's wrong?" he asked and receiving no answer attempted to comfort her. "Everything is going to be alright."

She turned to him and shook her head. "No it won't."

"Why?" Dr Masen asked in concern.

Bella looked away again. "I don't know who you are."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

**_Fragile by Sting_**

_If blood will flow when flesh and steel are one  
Drying in the colour of the evening sun  
Tomorrow's rain will wash the stains away  
But something in our minds will always stay_

Perhaps this final act was meant  
To clinch a lifetime's argument  
That nothing comes from violence  
and nothing ever could  
For all those born beneath an angry star  
Lest we forget how fragile we are

On and on the rain will fall  
Like tears from a star  
Like tears from a star  
On and on the rain will say  
How fragile we are  
How fragile we are

On and on the rain will fall  
Like tears from a star  
Like tears from a star  
On and on the rain will say  
How fragile we are  
How fragile we are  
How fragile we are  
How fragile we are

**A/N: I am not sure how I feel about this chapter but I will leave it up to you to decide. The story might seem to be progressing a bit slowly, but I do have a point and I will get where I am going soon. I don't want to cheat you out of the experience of getting to know the characters and what is going through their heads. **

**Now, here comes the bribe, R & R and I will update again this weekend (puppy dog eyes inserted here) LOL**


	4. There's Something I've Forgotten ME!

**A/N: First my apologies for taking so long to update but I have been swamped with work and classes, but I will try to do better in the future. I was also very unsatisfied with this chapter so I had to work on it to make sure it was something that you would want to read and not use to clean your toilet with lol. I hope I succeeded.**

**Once again I want to thank everyone who read, reviewed and added me to their alerts and favourites. You have no idea what you have done for my confidence level.**

**A special dedication goes out to my daughter **_**Tamara**_** who is my biggest fan. Boy was she surprised that her mother had some talent with the exception of cooking, cleaning, washing and all that. Thank you for your support baby.**

**Today's song is **_**'So Close, So Far'**_** by **_**Hoobastank**_**. Enjoy!! **

_**Previously.............**_

_"Bella, what's wrong?" he asked, and receiving no answer attempted to comfort her. "Everything is going to be alright."_

_She turned to him and shook her head. "No it won't,"_

_"Why?" Dr Masen asked in concern._

_Bella looked away again. "I don't know who you are."_

**Chapter 4 – There's Something I've Forgotten – ME!!**

Bella's shocking words seemed to originate from at the end of a long and narrow tunnel, and Edward had to wonder if his hearing was playing tricks on him. He stared at her incredulously, and again felt the unrelenting anger he had so successfully managed to control over the past days, resurface like a tidal wave. Not only had the bastard who attacked her almost taken her life, but he had also taken something else so precious and sacred – her memories.

He released her hand abruptly, and misunderstanding this action, her pained gaze fastened on his face. A mask of confusion and fear descended upon her face and it hit Edward in the stomach like a giant fist. He immediately felt as if some of the oxygen in the room had been sucked out. Tears spilled over the rims of Bella's eyes, and flowed unchecked down her pale cheeks in tiny rivulets.

"What do you mean?" he asked, his barely controlled voice laced with steel.

Bella swallowed painfully. "I don't remember who you are,"

Edward turned to Dr Masen and gave her a look of such pain that it tore at her heart. She picked up Bella's chart, and began to flip through the pages at a furious pace. A deafening silence filled the room, and Edward stood and walked over to the window. He studied the droplets of rain as they fell from the heavens to the earth, and a few people who seemed surprised by the sudden deluge, scampered to find shelter inside the warm confines of the hospital.

"What is going on?" he demanded, turning to again face the two women. He observed that the sudden sound of his voice made Bella flinch, and he immediately felt ashamed at his outburst.

Dr Masen ignored him, and took the seat that he had vacated only moments ago. She smiled reassuringly at Bella, who was now sobbing openly. This continued for a few minutes until the sobs faded into quiet hiccups.

"Bella, listen to me. I need to ask you some questions," the doctor said softly. "Is that okay?"

Bella nodded, and stammered past the lump in her throat. "Y-yes,"

"What is the last thing that you remember?"

"Waking up and seeing _him,_" she said frowning slightly, and massaged her left temple.

Upon receiving the new designation of '_him'_, Edward shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans, and again took a few calming breaths. He was not handling this situation correctly, and he knew the more he pulled away from Bella, the more she would do the same. He needed to keep a clear, cool head and be supportive. He came over to the bed, and smiled reassuringly at the woman who after being together for six years, now saw him as a stranger.

"Do you remember anything else?" Dr Masen prodded gently.

"I don't know. Everything is just so confused," Bella said, and stared at Edward, her eyes pleading silently for him to help her.

Dr Masen patted Bella's hand, stood slowly and then turned to Edward, who was fiddling with the hem of his grey T-shirt. Feeling the need to occupy his hands, he shoved up the long sleeves of his white inside shirt.

"I'll have to run some tests but other than the lost of memory, she's healing well," she said to him in an attempt to calm him.

Edward gave Bella a slightly strained smile, and proceeded to follow the doctor across the room. He looked in Bella's direction to see if she was watching them, but she seemed absorbed in the scenery outside.

"How long will these tests take?"

"A couple of hours. I would suggest that you try to be strong for Bella's sake, because although her memories are suppressed, she feels closer to you,"

Edward raised an eyebrow in disbelief. "She looked at me as if I was an axe murderer."

"Try to imagine how you would feel if you woke up in an unfamiliar place, surrounded by strangers, and couldn't remember who you were. You would be terrified," Dr Masen reasoned patiently. "Just try to be supportive, and when we get the test results back, we'll proceed from there. Okay?"

Edward nodded. "Okay."

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~***

He had just lit his second cigarette when the phone rang. He crushed the smouldering end in the ceramic ashtray and plucked the phone from its cradle.

"It's about time you called. I have better things to do than to sit here waiting for the phone to ring."

"Damnit, what the hell have you done?" an angry voice bellowed.

He paused, taken aback by the rage emanating from the man's voice. He then smiled to himself, and began to examine the tips of his well-manicured fingers. This particular client of his always got a bit antsy when things were not handled in the way in which he specified.

"As I recall, you had a series of problems and now, one of them is gone," He explained. "Isn't that what you wanted?"

"You were sloppy with this one. I paid you a great deal to make sure that all the loose ends are tied up, and you failed," the man hissed.

He sat up suddenly, his cool facade slipping slightly. "What do you mean? I killed her and that damn dog of hers. I should sue you for damages; I had to get a tetanus shot,"

"Well news flash, she's alive and Cullen is with her," he said, sarcasm dripping from his voice.

He felt as if he had been punched in the gut. "That's impossible,"

There was harsh bark of laughter on the other end of the line. "I suggest _you_ check your so called _infallible_ sources. The only thing _you_ killed was the damn dog,"

He felt the blood begin to pulsate through his veins. He never made a mistake, and such a dangerous one at that. What had gone wrong? Everything should have gone as planned. He had double checked and triple checked his plan before making his move. Everything had been perfect damnit.

He felt beads of sweat pop out on his brow, and quickly swept them away with the back of his hand.

"I'll fix it," he said grimly.

There was more ironic laughter from the man. "How? Are you going to buy her a cat and shoot that?"

He gritted his teeth in anger. He was a professional and now he was becoming a subject of ridicule. He had killed others for less, and this man was aware of his record.

"I'll finish the job and throw in Cullen as an extra,"

"No," the man said sharply. "Cullen is not to be touched…at least not yet. A quick death is too good for him. As for the girl, leave her alone for now, you'll get your chance to make good."

"And in the meantime, what am I to do? Wait around until she begins to talk?" he asked venomously.

"My sources inform me that she seems to have no memory of the incident, so you are safe….for now. However, I've taken the liberty of booking you on United flight 8249. It leaves in two hours so be on it. We'll talk when you get back." And with that, the line went dead.

Throwing what few pieces of clothing, and toiletries he had brought with him in a small black travelling bag, he replayed the incident in his mind. It always gave him a thrill when his prey fought for their lives and Bella Swan had been the best. She had put up one heck of a fight and had even pleaded for her life. Hell she had put the fun back in the hunt, something he had realised had been missing from his recent assignments. No one seemed to make killing or dying for that matter, fun anymore.

A part of him had wanted to cross that forbidden line and taken pleasure with her body, but weakness and deviating from your plan, always got a person into trouble. He would enjoy hunting her again, and this time, she would know who he was before she died.

_**So Close, So Far by Hoobastank**_

_  
I wake up all alone  
Somewhere unfamiliar  
Been gone so many days I'm losing count  
When I think of home I see your face  
Though I have to wait_

You're so close yet so far  
It's tearing me apart  
What I would do to be there with you  
You're so close yet so far  
It's tearing me apart  
What I would do to be back with you

I miss hearing your laughter  
All the little things  
Forgotten what it's like to hold you  
Cuz where I am right now  
So unforgiving  
It's numbing everything

You're so close yet so far  
It's tearing me apart  
What I would do to be there with you  
You're so close yet so far  
It's tearing me apart  
What I would do to be back with you

(So promise)  
No matter how long it takes for me to get back to you  
You'll wait for me  
(I promise)  
No matter how far away I go I'll come back for you  
Just wait and see

I miss being at home  
I miss your face  
Don't think I can wait

You're so close, yet so far  
It's tearing me apart  
What I would do to be there with you  
So close, yet so far  
It's tearing me apart  
What I would do to be back with you

**Well, you know the drill...R & R so that I can get your feedback as to if this was a hit or miss. My next chapter is completed but just awaiting the correct motivation (come on you smart people, you know what that is) for me to post (muh ha ha ha) and in case you did not get that, EVIL LAUGHTER.**

**One of my reviewers from chapter 2 said that a poodle was not the dog for Bella and I kinda agree, but I'm not sure what type she should have. Afterall, she is going to need a replacement eventually (HINT, HINT). **

**So, here is an official invitation to all readers to go to the POLL on my profile page and help me out. Please note I do not own a dog and I am not really familiar with them (forget the fact that my parents once owned 14 of them like a million zillion years ago). Unfortunately a dog is just a dog to me – sad I know. Sorry dog lovers.**


	5. Memories Make The Whole

**A/N: Thank you, thank you. I am so glad you liked the last chapter. Now, this one is special for a few reasons. My main reason for uploading now is to sort of coincide with the release of.....Let's all say it together – the TWILIGHT DVD!!! WHOO HOO!!! My reviews also made me so happy, that I decided to give you an extra, special treat. **

**BTW Vicki86, I left a little message for you at the end (LOL)**

**The song I picked for this chapter is **_**'Savin' Me'**_** by **_**Nickelback**_** and you can see from the lyrics that it is so appropriate. **

**Anyhow, I now introduce.....Chapter 5 (DRUM ROLL GOES HERE) lol..yes I know I am mental.**

**Chapter 5 – Memories Make The Whole**

A bead of perspiration ran down the side of Bella's face, dripped onto her chest and slowly made its way between the valley of her breasts. Her right leg was trembling from the exertion of trying to keep her from tumbling unto the mat, but she forced herself to continue. Based on what she had been through the past few weeks, she had no intention of letting a little thing like pain deter her.

"That's enough for today Bella. You're pushing yourself too hard," coaxed Roger, her Physiotherapist.

"Just two more," she said between gritted teeth, and felt a cramp slowly creep from her sneaker clad right heel to her calf.

She grabbed the bars a bit more tightly when she felt her grip beginning to slip, and retraced her slow and painful steps. She was determined to walk without the use of a cane, if it killed her.

Dr. Masen had delivered the bad news that she would most likely be dependant on a cane for the rest of her life. The bullet had damaged one of the vital nerves in her leg, and while she was not fully incapacitated, she would have a pronounced limp. The odds of a full recovery were about 40%, but Bella was determined to improve on that.

When Edward had explained to her what had happened, she had stared at him in disbelief and horror. It wasn't everyday, that someone told you that some nut job had tried to kill you. At first she had thought that he was mistaken. It was only when Detective Clearwater came to question her, that she realized it was _no_ mistake. Edward had almost decked the man, when he insisted that she try to remember the incident.

_Edward_. Since she had awoken four weeks ago, he was constantly there, and she could not want for a better friend. She just wished that she could remember him and their friendship, but like everything else, it was a total blank. He had told her that they had been friends before she had moved to Vancouver, but they had lost track of each other during the last three years. When she had asked him why, he had gotten this strange look on his face, and had said that they had both become busy with their lives.

Her lost of memory was the most stressful chapter of the entire ordeal. It seemed that no matter what she did, her past remained literally that...her _past_. Gone. Everything she had every said and done, all the people whom she knew and loved, had all ceased to exist. If she was asked, what was the first thing she remembered upon her re-entry into the land of the living, she would have said _"Waking up and seeing Edward's beautiful face"_.

Dr. Masen had said that the lost was not permanent, and would return in time. But how long? A few days, weeks, months, years? It was so exasperating, and her frustration meter crept up a notch every day.

Edward remained her only anchor to reality and a life forgotten. Almost from the beginning she had known that he cared for her, and would be there through this very trying and confusing time. She still had a hard time relating to people, and for some unusual reason she had this underlying fear that whoever had done this to her, would be back to try to finish the job. When she had voiced her fears to Edward, he had been honest with her, and told her that they had not captured her assailant, but they were trying their hardest. Until that happened, he would remain at her side.

Bella was so distracted by her thoughts, she did not realize that she had reached the end of the bars, and would have fallen if two strong arms had not abruptly halted her descent. She gave a slight shriek of alarm, and tried to pull herself away from her saviour.

"Hey, hey….It's me,"

She looked up into Edward's familiar green eyes, and felt her panic subside instantly. His arms went around her, clasped her tightly to him, and he felt a shudder of relief course through her body.

"You're back," she murmured into the front of his shirt, inhaling the scent she had grown so accustomed.

He gave her his beautiful, crooked smile. "Yes, I got in a little while ago. I see you're pushing yourself as usual,"

Bella extracted herself from his arms feeling slightly foolish at her alarm, and smiled up at him sheepishly. She grabbed the bars, and Roger would have assisted her into the wheelchair, had Edward not gotten there first. He lifted her, and placed her securely into the chair.

She stretched her arms, and wiggled her fingers in an attempt to alleviate the soreness in her muscles. She then removed the black, elastic supportive bands from her wrists.

"I warned her not to push herself too hard, but she wouldn't listen," Roger complained good-naturedly, as he began to clean and put away the exercise equipment.

"Bella, you have to listen to Roger. He knows what's best for you," Edward said, and sighed when he saw tension pinch Bella's features.

She turned the chair around, and began to wheel herself towards the door. The tension in the room grew to an explosive level, and Edward braced himself for the backlash he knew was imminent.

"I can take care of myself perfectly well Edward Cullen. Don't patronise me," she hissed.

Edward caught up with her when she was half way down the corridor, and drew the wheelchair to an abrupt stop. He came around in front of her, and squatted so that he could look directly into her eyes.

"I was not patronising you. I was concerned," he explained, gently. "You've made so much progress and I don't want to see you hurt yourself."

Bella sighed, and gave Edward a slight smile. "I'm sorry. I'm just frustrated that's all."

He gently tapped the side of her head with his index finger. "How's the memory coming?"

Bella's bow shaped lips took a downward turn. "Not much better than when you left last week. Sometimes I think something is familiar and then it's gone. I've been having some dreams as well, but again I can't remember them when I awake. "

Edward gave her hands a slight squeeze, and then resumed his position behind the chair. He pushed the chair in silence for a few seconds, giving Bella the opportunity to gather her thoughts. Not being in control of her life was something Bella had no concept of. Memories or no memories, that one thing remained the same.

Edward mentally kicked himself for not being there by Bella's side for the past week, but his job had demanded his immediate attention, and he had had to return to Seattle. His testimony had been key in a murder investigation, and what was supposed to have lasted only two days, had taken a week and a half. This was due to numerous interruptions from the defendant's counsel, in an attempt to win his client's freedom.

In the end, justice had prevailed, and the man who had kidnapped, brutally raped and murdered a woman and her young daughter, had been sentenced to die by lethal injection.

As they approached Bella's room, Edward drew his thoughts from the trial, and focussed them on the woman seated quietly in the chair. He knew from her silence that she was deeply troubled, and wished for the hundredth time that he could do something – anything to make it better.

No new evidence had presented itself to the authorities with regards to Bella's attack, and from his experience; Edward knew that the longer evidence remained absent, the harder it would be to find the perpetrator. On the surface, the whole incident made no sense, but Edward had a gut feeling that there was a motive, and he had to make the connection before it was too late. How could he adequately protect Bella, if he had no idea from whom and what he was protecting her from?

He had gone over to Bella's house on two occasions, and the sight still disturbed him. He had tried to clean up the blood which had become a permanent fixture on the off white carpet, but in the end, he had used a rug to cover the area. He had also straightened various bits and pieces of furniture which had been in disarray, and what had been damaged beyond repair, he had discarded along with all the perishable items from the refrigerator.

One of the hardest things he had also had to do, was to gather and box Charlie's toys, blanket, water and food bowl, and a few other items which had belonged to the loveable ball of hair. He had never seen one animal with such a variety of chew toys, but then again, Bella had always spoiled him.

Edward had given Charlie to Bella a few days before she had left for Vancouver. He realised later, that he had been trying to make up for his absence – both physically and emotionally. He had failed miserably, and the woman he loved more than life itself had closed the door on their life together, and walked away.

"Edward." Bella said when they arrived inside her room. "Could you give me some time alone?"

"Sure. Are you okay?" he asked, concern evident in his voice.

Bella nodded. "Yes, I'd just like to take a shower that's all."

Edward felt relief course through him, and he gave her a reassuring smile. "I need to get something to eat and tidy up. I'll be back in a couple of hours."

"That's fine. I'll use the time to take a nap as well." she said, stifling a yawn behind her hand.

Edward gave her hand another squeeze, and then he was gone. Bella let out the breath she had been holding, and looked at the hand which Edward had touched. The skin tingled and for a brief moment, she wondered if he was being completely honest with her.

She sometimes got the impression that they used to be more than just _friends_,especially when she caught him watching her. Her other clue, was the way she felt in the pit of her stomach every time he came into a room, or when he touched her. It was puzzling, and she had attempted to ask him on more than one occasion, but her courage had deserted her.

What would she do if he confirmed her suspicions? Would their fragile and new relationship be irreparably damaged? She shook her head stubbornly. With so much uncertainty in her life at this time, she was just not willing to take that chance. Not now and maybe not ever.

_**Savin' Me by Nickelback**___

Prison gates won't open up for me  
On these hands and knees I'm crawlin'  
Oh, I reach for you  
Well I'm terrified of these four walls  
These iron bars can't hold my soul in  
All I need is you  
Come please I'm callin'  
And oh I scream for you  
Hurry I'm fallin', I'm fallin'

_[Chorus]__  
Show me what it's like  
To be the last one standing  
And teach me wrong from right  
And I'll show you what I can be  
Say it for me  
Say it to me  
And I'll leave this life behind me  
Say it if it's worth saving me_

Heaven's gates won't open up for me  
With these broken wings I'm fallin'  
And all I see is you  
These city walls ain't got no love for me  
I'm on the ledge of the eighteenth story  
And oh I scream for you  
Come please I'm callin'  
And all I need from you  
Hurry I'm fallin', I'm fallin'

_[Chorus]___

Hurry I'm fallin'

All I need is you  
Come please I'm callin'  
And oh, I scream for you  
Hurry I'm fallin', I'm fallin', I'm fallin'

_[Chorus]___

Hurry I'm fallin'

**A/N: Now that you have finished reading and given me loads of reviews (HINT, HINT), go out and get that DVD. I have pre-ordered mine at Amazon so I am waiting with bated breath. **

**I just thought I would let you know that in the next chapter (which BTW is completed vicki86), you will meet another character whom we all know and love. Being the 'Evil' person that I am, I say no more unless you know, the motivation meter goes off the scale.**

**Loads of love and vampire nibbles.............**


	6. Good Things Come In Small Packages

**A/N:First let me apologise for taking forever to update, but unfortunately I have been ill. I was feeling a bit tired and it quickly progressed to hardly being able to move, head aches and a high fever. One visit to the doctor and she confirmed that I had Dengue Fever – for those of you who do not know what that is, **_"You can Google it"_** LOL. So with that in mind, please don't shoot me if this chapter is a bit lacking. **

**Secondly, we had an islandwide power outage last night. This happened about 10 minutes before I was due to upload, and when the power came back on about 2 hours later, the net was down.**

**I realise that I have had plenty of hits, adds to favourite story and story alerts, but not a lot of reviews. As I said in a past chapter REVIEWS make us all happy – even if it's just to say **_"You're writing utter rot, so can it."_** So please, please, please...review. It doesn't have to be a paragraph or a thesis, but just a few words. If you can take the time to read, then you can take the additional time to just say what you think. Now that I've had my say, I can now get off of my soap box.**

**However, I want to thank all those who did review, added me to their favourite author, and added my story to their alerts and favourites. Please do not think that I am unappreciative. **

**As promised at the end of Chapter 5, I am introducing a 'Cullen' in this chapter so I hope you enjoy.**

**Today's chapter song is, **_'Letter To Myself'_** by **_Mad At Gravity_**. There's a YouTube link on my profile page if you want to hear the song.**

**Chapter 6 – Good Things Come In Small Packages**

A soft rapping at the door pulled Bella from her slumber, and the nightmares which seemed to plague her whenever she closed her eyes. For a second she felt panic rise to choke her, and she had to remind herself where she was, and that she was safe. She ran a trembling hand through her almost shoulder length hair, and drew in a steadying breath.

"Come in," she said, when the knock came again.

A petite woman with tanned, glowing skin, elfin features and spiky black hair stepped into the room. She paused for a split second before rushing towards Bella, and enveloping her in a hug. The woman's grip was surprisingly strong for such a small person, and Bella tried to pull away.

"Thank God you're okay," the woman cried, and tightened her hold despite Bella's attempts to disentangle herself. "I'm so s-sorry,"

Finally managing to extract herself from the woman's arms, Bella slid off the bed in an attempt to put some distance between herself, and the obviously emotional woman. She took a few faltering steps back.

Confusion clouded the woman's beautiful grey eyes, and for a second, Bella felt as if she should say or do something to comfort her new visitor.

"Bella is something wrong?" she asked, "I know you're probably mad with me, but…."

Bella rubbed the goose-pimpled flesh of her arms. "I'm not mad with _you_. It's just that…."

The woman dropped her bag to the ground, and the sudden noise within the quiet room made Bella almost jump out of her skin. For some reason, the noise reminded her of a gunshot but she could not place when, and where she would have heard the sound.

"It's just that what?" the woman asked softly. She removed the red wrap from around her shoulders, and draping it over the back of the chair closest to the bed.

Bella closed her eyes and sighed. "It's just that I don't know who you are. I've lost my memory,"

There was a deafening silence within the room, and in the corridor outside; a disembodied female voice paged a Dr Peters on the intercom. The woman's eyes filled with tears, and she sat slowly as if all the woes of the world had been placed squarely on her shoulders. Her small shoulders shook as she tried to contain her sobs.

"I'm s-so s-sorry," she stammered as tear after tear slid down her cheek. "I feel as if this is entirely my fault."

Bella rubbed her temples, as she felt the dull beginnings of a headache creep up from the base of her skull. "It's not your fault. I'm sorry, but who you are?"

"I'm Alice….your best friend,"

"My best friend?" she asked sceptically.

Alice nodded. "Yes, we've been friends for over 15 years. We went to high school and college together, and when you moved to Vancouver, I helped you to get settled."

Bella wished she could remember because it seemed important to Alice, but no matter how hard she tried, everything remained blank.

She slowly limped back over to the bed, hoisted herself up and sat. Since her interaction with people she was supposed to be familiar with had only been limited to Edward, she had not thought of how others would react when she finally left the safe confines of the hospital. Especially people she had a history with. The though terrified her, and she clenched her hands so tightly that she felt her nails dig into the palms of her hands.

"I'm sorry," She apologised. "It's not that I don't want to remember, it's just that I can't right now."

Alice visibly swallowed her grief, and nodded slowly. "Ok. Can you tell me what happened?"

Bella paused. She was unsure what, and how much to say to this woman who claimed to be her best friend. In addition to her lost of memory, she had added extreme paranoia to her growing list of concerns. Plus there was another reason for her reluctance – she knew the basics of what had happened, but not all the most important details.

The few times she had asked Edward, he had told her only enough to satisfy her curiosity. However, she knew there was a lot more he refused to tell her. While it infuriated her, she knew he was doing it in an attempt to protect her, and not overload her with too much information. The last thing she needed was a set back in the memory department – not like there was anything new going on there.

"Someone broke into my house and shot me," She said slowly, a chill going through her body at the words _'shot me'_. "I'm a bit fuzzy on the details, but you can ask Edward when he gets here,"

A look of surprise descended upon Alice's face. "Edward Cullen?"

Now it was Bella's turn to be confused. "Yes. Why?"

The door swinging open on its hinges saved Alice from having to explain, and interrupted Bella from hearing something which she suspected was very important. Both women's attention was riveted to the door, and the person who stepped inside.

Edward had returned, and it was obvious that he had taken a shower, and changed his clothes. His slightly damp hair had obviously been finger combed, and gone was the charcoal suit he had been wearing earlier. He was now dressed in a pair of blue distressed jeans, and a tan sweater with buttons at the neck. The sleeves were rolled up to expose the pale, smooth skin of his strong fore arms. A khaki and black parka was draped over his left arm, and in his right was a bag with the name of a coffee shop embossed on the side.

"Sorry for taking so long..." he trailed off when he realised that Bella had a guest. "Alice?"

Alice stood, crossed the room, and to Bella's complete surprise, she enveloped Edward in a warm hug. Despite the items he carried, he returned the hug, and dropped a kiss on her cheek. Something snake like and ugly uncurled in the pit of Bella's stomach, and she was shocked to realise that she was jealous. She did not like to see Edward being affectionate with Alice, and for a fleeting second wondered if there had ever been something going on between them.

"It's good to see you. You haven't change a bit," he said, and deposited the bag on the bedside table. He draped the jacket over the back of the chair, and as if he unconsciously realised how Bella felt, he took one of her hands in his and squeezed slightly.

"Well you have. You're even more handsome than when I last saw you," Alice grinned, reclaiming the seat she had vacated earlier. "How are you?"

Edward shrugged. "I'm okay, just taking it as it comes. I thought about you but with everything so crazy and..."

"My lack of memory," Bella said sharper then she intended, and then felt shame flow over her like the surf at high tide.

Edward raised an eyebrow, and then continued. "With Bella being so ill, everything else went clean out of my head,"

Alice nodded and even though she smiled, her eyes again filled with tears. "I'm so sorry I wasn't here for you,"

Bella still feeling a bit put off by the level of familiarity which the two people in the room obviously had with each other, could not still her tongue.

"You said we are best friends, but if we are such good friends then why has taken you over a month to visit?"

Alice looked ashamed and slightly uncomfortable. It was at that point that Bella realised that she had hit a sore point, and wondered if she had put her foot squarely into her mouth....again. Alice cleared her throat, and folded her lips together as if what she was about to say was extremely painful.

"I have to remind myself that you've lost your memory. I was in Africa for the past few weeks," Alice's musical voice held a trace of anguish. "My mother was ill and she died. I brought her home, dealt with her estate and prepared for the funeral."

Bella clapped her hand over her mouth, and felt her face grow hot with shame and sorrow. Suddenly a sharp pain shot through her head, and she got a flash of memory of her standing beside Alice when she had received the phone call that her mother had taken gravely ill, and needed her. She had been the one to take the phone from Alice's numb fingers, place it on its cradle, and make the call to the travel agency to book the flight to Johannesburg via London.

"Oh no. Not Francesca." She moaned.

Both Edward and Alice looked knowingly at each other, and then at Bella who was now crying silently into her hands. Edward switched positions and went around the other side of the bed. He placed his hands on her shaking shoulders, gently massaging them and the sides of her neck.

"Y-you remember my mother's name?" Alice stammered, hopefully.

Bella's sobs quieted, and she looked up at Alice indignantly. "Of course I do." Then the realisation hit her. "I remembered her name, a-and also when you got the phone call. I made the travel arrangements."

Edward took a deep breath, and hoped that Bella could not hear the furious pounding of his heart. Could this be the break through he had been hoping for? Was this the moment he dreaded more than anything?

"Do you remember anything else?" he asked, struggling to maintain his composure.

Bella was silent for a few seconds. Her head was splitting from what she suspected to be the effort of trying to remember, and the intensity of the new memory which had resurfaced. An excruciating pain and a wave of nausea hit simultaneously, and she scrambled to get off the bed to get the bathroom.

_**Letter To Myself by Mad At Gravity**_

_I get lost behind the plot  
And I'm skinny with regret  
And I barely breathe enough  
And I'm swimming in the thoughts  
That I haven't got to yet  
And I crane to rise above_

_Chorus  
I know you're waiting for me  
I know you'll still be there  
_

_I get weakened with the weight  
And I'm riddled with remorse  
And I spin, but not the rooms  
And I'm shamed to have to state  
That I'm bottled at the source  
And I sputter on the fumes  
_

_I know you're waiting for me  
I know you'll still be there  
I know you're waiting for me  
I know you'll still be there  
_

_My mind is mute  
My nerves are numb  
But still  
_

_I know you're waiting for me  
I know you'll still be there  
I know you're waiting for me  
I know you'll still be there_


	7. Burn My Security Blanket, Why Don't You?

**A/N: This week's Author's Note will be short and sweet. That's because I have been trying to make a decision all week. I'll tell you what my dilemma is at the end of this chapter or maybe in an entirely separate note.**

**Anyhow, I want to thank my faithful readers and reviewers as well as say congrats to **5t4c3y** whose story **_'My Best Friends Kid'_** has made it to over 1000 reviews YEAH!!!! Way to go Stacey!!**

**Previously..............**

"_Do you remember anything else?" he asked, struggling to maintain his composure._

_Bella was silent for a few seconds. Her head was splitting from what she suspected to be the effort of trying to remember, and the intensity of the new memory which had resurfaced. An excruciating pain and a wave of nausea hit simultaneously, and she scrambled to get off the bed to get the bathroom. _

**Chapter 7 – Burn My Security Blanket, Why Don't You?**

When Edward realised when was about to happen, he scooped her up, and took her into the bathroom where she promptly emptied the contents of her stomach into the toilet. With the cold porcelain of the toilet cradling Bella's forehead, Edward took a washcloth, soaked it with water from the faucet, and sat beside her on the floor. He cradled her in his arms, and used the soaked cloth to wipe her face, and then her lips. Leaning against his chest, she closed her eyes. After a few minutes the dizziness and nausea began to subside.

When she finally opened her eyes, Alice was standing in the doorway chewing on her bottom lip. Concern was etched in her features, and Bella felt a strong urge to console her friend despite the embarrassment of having had an audience while she lost her lunch. Alice gave her an understanding nod and disappeared from sight.

"How are you feeling?" Edward asked his velvet voice filled with concern. Bella felt her heart beat increase in tempo when she looked into the emerald pools of his eyes.

His cologne was one that Bella knew she was familiar with, but could not place at this time. Her mind went blank for a few seconds, as a gamut of emotions thundered through her. Why did she react this way towards Edward, and did he feel the same confusion she did? If he did then he was one of the greatest actors on the face of the earth, because she could swear that her emotions were plastered all over her face like a brightly painted neon sign.

"Bella?" Edward said when she remained silent. "Are you okay?"

Bella licked her suddenly dry lips nervously. "Yes, I'm fine."

Edward's eyes unconsciously followed the path the tip of Bella's tongue took, and he felt as if someone had sucker punched him. He felt as if the already small bathroom had suddenly become three times smaller, and he knew he had to get out of there before he did something stupid – like fit his lips over hers. Directly after the thought entered his mind the burn of shame followed. Here she was sitting on the floor of the bathroom being violently ill, and all he could think about was kissing her. Talk about being heartless and selfish.

To cover his awkwardness, he slowly detangled himself from her, got to his feet, and helped her to stand. She swayed slightly, and when he went to steady her, she brushed away his hands as if she could not bear for him to touch her.

"I-I'll be fine. Can I have a bit of privacy?" she asked in a low voice.

Edward nodded, turned and walked out of the room closing the door behind him. He leaned against the door, and drew in a deep, steadying breath. The sound of a person clearing their throat interrupted Edward from basking in the glory of his escape. He turned slowly, and caught Alice watching him with a look of admonishment.

"What are you doing?" she whispered furiously.

Edward made sure the bathroom door was securely closed, and taking Alice by the arm, escorted her into the hallway. Other than a nurse who was pushing a cart laden with medical supplies into a room, the area was basically empty, and for that he was thankful.

"What are you talking about?" he asked innocently, when she had yanked her arm out of his grip.

Alice poked him in the chest. "Don't give me that crap. I saw what happened just now. This is a serious situation. Right now her entire world revolves around _you_. You're probably the only stable thing in her life, and you have to be careful not to take advantage of the situation,"

Anger rose in Edward like a geyser. "That's _all_ I have been trying _not_ to do. Do you have any idea how hard this is for me? I was there when her heart stopped beating, when she was literally dead for those few precious seconds it took to restart her heart, when she slipped into that coma. All I can think about is how I almost lost her again, and that I have to protect her – protect her from the bastard who did this to her, and most of all from me and our past."

Alice suddenly looked ashamed, and gave him an apologetic smile. The entire situation had come as a great shock to her, and while Edward had had the opportunity to become accustomed to the circumstances, she had to play catch up in a considerably short space of time.

"I'm sorry," she apologised. "It's just that I see the way you look at her, and right now she's confused and frightened. It would be a major case of hero worship."

Edward clenched his fists. "Look, I had to accept that that part of our life is over. I am not the sort of person who would use amnesia to undermine the decision she has made. It wouldn't be fair to her, and when she finally remembers, she'd hate me even more." He gave her a sad, crooked smile. "I'll be careful okay?"

"Okay," Alice raised her hands in surrender, "Are you going to tell her the truth about your relationship?"

Edward shook his head. "No. That would only complicate things further. Right now, she needs a friend who's going to be there for her, not an ex-husband."

Alice was in the process of commenting, when Dr Masen came up behind them and clapped Edward friendly on the shoulder. During the past few weeks, Edward and Victoria had become great friends, and he suspected that she knew exactly how he felt about the woman hidden away inside the bathroom in the next room. Even though she knew they were no longer legally tied to each other, she treated him as if he was Bella's family, and not a chapter long since ended in her life.

"Hey there, how's it going today?" she greeted, and gave him her usual sunny smile. Today her unruly hair had been wrestled into a bun at the base of her neck, and she wore fluorescent orange and white sneakers. They clashed horribly with her blue scrubs.

Edward mentally gathered himself together, and gave her his customary daily hug. "I'm okay, but those shoes....UGH!!" he grimaced.

Victoria glared at him with one eyebrow raised. "_You_ told me that I need to try to cheer my patients up, so I tried something a little different. Orange is a _happy_ colour. So far I have had quite a few comments, thank you very much. Even Mr Lymond smiled and you know he never smiles."

Victoria was referring to one of her patients who had been diagnosed with terminal cancer, and was as cantankerous as they came. He gave everyone a difficult time and never, ever smiled with anyone.

"He was probably trying to be polite. Did he smile at you before or after he saw you coming with the needle?"

Victoria threw him a mean look, and then began to laugh. "Very funny,"

Edward smiled and quickly introduced the two women to each other. He also gave Victoria an update of Bella's recent episode. When he finished, Victoria was now wearing her 'Doctor' face as Edward had dubbed her expression whenever she was all business.

"Let me check in on her first, because I have some news that depends greatly on her condition." She said, and with that disappeared into the room.

Bella replaced the toothbrush in its holder, and wiped her hands on the towel hanging from the ring on the wall. She felt better. The headache still persisted, but at a much decreased pitch. She dreaded facing Edward after what had just happened, but she knew there was no escape. Chances were he was standing outside the door waiting for her to come out, and her face grew hot with embarrassment. If every time she had a flashback she stood to lose her dignity, then she was going to remain completely clueless.

Realising that hiding in the bathroom would eventually cause more problems – like security coming in and breaking the door down, she drew in a deep breath and yanked it open. To her surprise, the only occupant in the room was Dr Masen. Her back was to her and she was writing something in her chart.

Upon hearing the bathroom door open, Victoria turned to her patient. Her cheeks, a dull red colour, highlighted the paleness of her face. For a few seconds, she thought Bella was about to collapse. She quickly went over to her, placed a supportive arm around her shoulders and they made their way towards the bed.

"Are you alright?" she asked, as Bella sat on the edge of the bed.

Bella nodded. "I'm fine. Just a bit of a headache and a slight lost of dignity," She felt renewed heat infuse her cheeks as she remembered how Edward had sat on the floor beside her, as she had puked her guts out.

"Yes, I spoke with Edward just now and he told me about your episode. Don't worry; it happens sometimes – depending on the trigger and the strength of the memory. Eventually you will learn how to control your responses," She explained as she settled the pillows at the head of Bella's bed.

Bella grimaced and swung her legs under the sheet. She caught a brief glimpse of the scar on her leg, and felt a shiver run through her. There were so many things she would have to become accustomed to. So many things she would have to discover and learn to compensate for.

She was so caught up in her thoughts about the future that Victoria's next words hit her like a brick wall.

"Actually, that's one of the reasons I came to talk to you," she said smiling gently. "I was thinking of sending you home. Your progress has been phenomenal, and I can't find a reason to keep you here anymore."

"W-what about my memory?" Bella whispered, fearfully. She clutched the sheet in a death grip and Victoria's eyes caught the movement.

She sighed in resignation. If it was up to her, she would have Bella stay for a couple weeks more, but she could no longer justify to the Chief of Surgery why she was keeping a patient who was physically ready to be discharged. Upon reflection, she realised that she had become too close to Bella and Edward. She saw them more as friends than patient/family member and that's why she had allowed her to stay the extra week. She knew Bella was terrified of leaving for a number of reasons she could relate to. After all, she would be terrified if someone had tried to kill her, and was being sent back into a potentially dangerous situation. That coupled with having no memory was a recipe for disaster.

"Your lost of memory is not enough of a reason to keep you. Physically you're out of danger, and your Physiotherapy can be done on an out patient basis," Victoria explained, remorse colouring her tone. "I wouldn't discharge you if I thought you weren't ready."

Bella was silent for a few seconds and then a determined look came into her eyes. "Okay. When?"

Victoria was surprised by Bella's reaction. At the least she had expected her to ask for a few days more, but one of the things she had come to learn about her patient during the pass few weeks was that she had an iron will, and was willing to face most things head on. Whether that be another surgery to repair damage, or a change to her rehabilitation program.

"Is tomorrow morning too soon?"

Bella shook her head. "No, that's fine. Does Edward know?"

"No, I wanted to discuss it with you first."

Bella gave her a grateful smile, and tried to push the fear of leaving the safety of the hospital aside. She inhaled deeply. "Well, you better call them in. I guess we have some good news."

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~***

As Edward stepped off the elevator and onto the fourth floor, his mind was travelling at warp speed. Bella's announcement of her release had taken him partially by surprise. He had always known that based on her progress she might be released soon. However, this had all happened much sooner then he had expected, and the plan which had been formulating in his mind during the past few weeks, would now have to be put into action.

When she had delivered the news, she had been very up beat, but he and Alice had immediately seen through her facade. Bella had always been a terrible actress and an equally terrible liar. In addition to that, her trying to keep a secret from him was like a recovering alcoholic being placed in a room full of brandy, and told not to take a drink. Next to impossible.

He had seen the fear in her eyes, and he would be a fool to assume that her 'would be' assassin was the only reason. The outside world posed an incredible challenge for her, and while she had functionality of all her limbs, she was now considered handicapped. Helplessness was not something Bella dealt with very well, and to have her independence taken away from her, was almost like losing a limb.

He reached his destination and knocked twice. Victoria's voice came from the opposite side of the door and instructed him to enter. When he did so, she gave him a knowing smile. It was obvious that she had been expecting him.

"Hey Dr V," he said, using the nickname he had given to her, "Do you have a few minutes? I want to run something by you,"

Victoria looked at her watch. "Wow, it took you longer than I expected. I mean a whole 45 minutes have gone by."

Edward grinned, pulled up the chair and took a seat. "I needed sometime to think, so I left Alice and Bella together and took a walk."

Victoria nodded and leaned forward on her desk. She placed her elbows on the desktop, her chin in her palms and smiled.

"So, what is it you want to discuss?"

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~***

_**Seattle University Hospital**_

_**Seattle, Washington**_

Dr Carlisle Cullen closed the door of his office and sighed with relief at the blissfully quiet atmosphere. He made his way over to the black, leather couch which sometimes doubled as a bed, and stretched out his tired and worn body. He closed his eyes and felt his body relax against the cushions.

The past two days had been some of the busiest days he had had in six months. The Emergency Room had been filled to capacity since yesterday's bus accident. A drunk driver had crashed into a bus full of tourists, and both vehicles had plunged into a river. This had resulted in him working a 48 hour shift without any rest as he had had to assist where was needed.

The mass casualty situation could not have come at a worst time. A week before, a Flu epidemic had hit and a great percentage of the staff were off ill. He grimaced when he remembered that yesterday had been his wedding anniversary, and he had stood Esme up. He had made reservations at one of Esme's favourite restaurants and they had both been looking forward to spending some uninterrupted time with each other. He had been heading through the door when the first ambulance had arrived, and offloaded the first of a number of critically injured patients. After that, everything else had pretty much gone to hell.

A million and one surgeries later, he remembered that he had forgotten to call Esme and cancel their plans. It had been 3:00am and he knew she would be asleep, so he again put off making the call. While she understood what being a Doctor's wife was like, he knew she would still be hurt and more than a little upset with him. To make a long story short, he was in deep trouble.

He was considering how to make it up to her when he felt his cell phone vibrate in the pocket of his coat. He pulled it out and flipping it open, saw _'Edward'_ appear on the display. He smiled, pressed the connect button and placed the phone to his ear.

"Hi son, how's it going?"

Edward chuckled. "Good for me, but not good for you. I called you at home and mom answered. She's not too happy with you right now. Seems you stood her up.....again,"

Carlisle groaned, and rubbed his free hand across his face. "I know. Bus accident and I lost track of the time,"

"By the way, Happy Belated Anniversary. I was a bit caught up myself and I forgot,"

"See? I'm not the only Cullen with a bad memory," Carlisle said triumphantly, "How are things? How's Bella?"

Edward paused and immediately Carlisle knew something was up. He sat up, swung his legs off the side of the couch, and placed his feet on the floor. "Son, is everything alright?"

"Yeah. Actually, Bella is being released tomorrow and I need your help,"

"Sure, whatever you need. What's going on?"

Edward drew in a breath, and for a few seconds there was silence. When he spoke again, his voice was decisive. "Dad, I'm bringing Bella home, home to Washington."

___________________________________________________________________________

**A/N: So as I was saying at the beginning of the chapter, I have a dilemma but I have decided to write a separate note on this because I do not want it to over shadow the above chapter. I will upload again shortly.**


	8. AUTHOR'S NOTE PLEASE READ

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**

_So as I was saying before I have a dilemma. I really enjoy writing this story, and what really pushes me to make it better and to continue are my readers. However, what I have found is that it seems no matter how good the story is there are people out there who will continue to read and not REVIEW. Let me give you an example. To date, my statistics are as follows:_

_752 Hits_

_343 Visitors_

_I have also have tons of people who have added the story to their Alerts and favourites. However, 98% of these people DO NOT review. So to make a long story short, I am considering pulling the story and going back to what I was doing in the beginning, which is to just read other people's stuff and give them the reviews._

_For all of those who think I am being petty or maybe a review monster, you have to understand how this works. If you keep doing something which you think is worthwhile and no one else sees it (again for all those who R & R, I cannot thank you enough), eventually it wears you down until you just throw in the towel. I guess I feel unappreciated and a bit sad._

_Now, I did not write this Author's Note to display what an ungrateful toe rag I am, but just to explain how I currently feel. I finished chapter 7 a few days ago, but I really was not motivated to upload. I have done so however, because I have a responsibility to my readers and because I am feeling a bit down, does not give me the right to be a B***H. _

_So, I have finished Chapters 8 and 9 and will probably upload those during the course of this weekend or early next week. After that, who knows??? One thing for sure, I refuse to leave my characters hanging and will complete the story even if I decide not to upload. _

_Now I have told you my dilemma, you can tell me what you think. I really enjoy writing this story and giving the characters life. I also enjoy meeting new people and sharing a common interest with them._

_To all those who stuck by me these few weeks, I thank you and love you to death. Hopefully I will get some positive feedback from this A/N and then I can continue._


	9. Transitions Pt 1 When One Door Closes

**A/N: First I must apologise for my last Author's Note. Not for what I said but the context in which it might have come across. A friend told me that I annihilated ppl, but that was not the purpose. As I stated before, I just wanted ppl to know my thoughts.**

**I want to thank all those who read and reviewed. I especially want to thank **GerryLittleMissSunshine08** and **malana09** for giving me a kick in the butt and making me realise what my priorities are. Thanks you guys.**

**Now before I continue, I have to explain something about this chapter and the next. It was originally one chapter but it sort of got out of control. The reason for this is that I felt the need to clarify certain things before I moved the characters to a different location. If I just moved Bella to Washington without tying up some loose ends, then the story would not quite read right, and I know you would've been wondering WTF?? (What The Frank lol). I also wanted to avoid information overload on your part.**

**Because these 2 chapters are Part 1 and Part 2, I will have the same artist contribute a song for each. I hope you understand this because I think I just confused myself, but I know you are smart so you'll figure it out.**

**Part 1's song is **_Look After You_** by **_The Fray_**. A really cool song that you can check out using the playlist link on my profile. **

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~***

**Previously..............**

_Edward drew in a breath, and for a few seconds there was silence. When he spoke again, his voice was decisive. "Dad, I'm bringing Bella home, home to Washington."_

**Chapter 8 - Transitions Part 1 – When One Door Closes**

Edward lifted the last bag into the back of the Volvo and closed the trunk with a quick slam. He grumbled. He really hated this car and could not wait to see the back of it. It made him feel like an awkward, gangly teenager with his first car. He turned, stared at the front of the hospital and wondered how soon Bella and Alice would come out.

As if his thoughts had summoned them, the automatic glass doors parted and a nurse exited, pushing Bella in a wheelchair. Her new black and silver cane and a white handbag rested on her lap. She smiled at something the nurse said, and then looked in his direction.

Alice and Victoria quickly took up the rear position, their arms ladened with bouquets of flowers, a fruit basket and a helium balloon arrangement. Most of these gifts were compliments of the staff who had taken care of Bella during her stay. They were so pleased at her recovery that they had all put money together to give her a good-bye gift.

As they approached the car, Bella threw him a smile that set his insides on fire. The sunlight danced off her beautifully pale skin, and brought out the caramel coloured highlights in her hair. She had put her hair up into a messy ponytail and it showed off the graceful curves of her neck. Gone was the hospital attire and she was now dressed in a turquoise long sleeved shirt, jeans and sneakers. All compliments of Alice, who had gone over to Bella's place with him last night and chosen the clothes. He was a bit of a novice when it came to choosing women's clothes. So much so, that Alice had been appalled by some of his choices, and had quickly shoved him out of the closet, and slammed the door in his face.

He went quickly to the passenger side of the car and opened the door. He took Bella's bag, placed it in the back seat and then helped her into the front seat. Shutting the door securely, he turned to the other two women and helped them arrange the gifts wherever they could find space in the backseat.

"I'm sad but happy to see you go." Victoria said, her eyes suspiciously red.

Edward pulled her to him and gave her a hug. If there was one positive thing that had come out of this entire incident was that he had gained another friend. Dr V had made this entire ordeal bearable and he could not thank her enough for saving Bella's life.

"Thank you," he whispered in her ear. "I'll always be in your debt."

Victoria chuckled, "When I come to Washington I know who to book as my tour guide."

Edward laughed. "You have my numbers. Don't be afraid to use them okay?"

She nodded, said good-bye to Alice and Bella, and followed the nurse back into the hospital.

Alice managed to squash herself into the back as Edward quickly slid into the driver's seat. Bella was leaning back against the seat with her eyes closed, but they flew open when he slammed the door. He smiled apologetically and she once again closed them.

"So, where are we off too?" Alice asked, her voice slightly muffled behind two of the balloons.

Edward looked in the rear view mirror, his eyes briefly making contact with Alice's. He flicked on the right indicator and pulled out into the busy midday traffic.

He had discussed his decision with her last night and she had agreed with him. It was better that Bella relocate. At least until the person who had attacked her been caught or she regained her memory - hopefully both. The hardest part would be getting Bella to agree, but hopefully with Alice's support it would be easy.

"I was thinking of celebrating Bella's release by taking you all out to lunch. What do you think?"

Bella perked up immediately. "Real food?"

Edward shook his head and laughed, "Yeah Bells, real food."

Bella stared out across the water and sighed contentedly. The restaurant Edward had chosen was situated directly on the water's edge, and she had an unobstructed view of the harbor and the pier. Colourful sails bobbed on the water and the wind rustled through them making them flap in an elaborate dance. The salt-tinged air stung her eyes, and she removed her sunglasses from on top of her head and put them on.

The food was excellent, the ambience peaceful, and for a brief moment in time, Bella felt all her cares melt away. She suspected the slice of triple decker chocolate cake on her plate might also have had something to do with it, as well as the company.

Edward and Alice were busy trading insults and Bella smiled. She would always remember this moment even if she lived to be 100 years old. She almost felt like a normal person who was just out with her friends having lunch. Not like the person she truly was – bruised, broken and in pieces.

"Are you gonna eat all of that?" Edward asked her, eyeing her half eaten slice with a greedy eye.

Bella moved her plate closer and out of his immediate reach. "Why?"

"No reason," he said innocently "I was just wondering."

Alice snorted. "Yeah right. More like you want it for yourself."

Bella laughed and pushed it over to him. She was full and would have hated to see it go to waste. He finished it off in exactly four bites.

"My God, did you even come up for air?" Alice asked horrified.

"Shut up Tiny Tim." This earned him a smack to the back of his head from Alice's quick hand. He rubbed his head, glared at her and took a sip of water.

Now that lunch was officially over, it was time for him to discuss, or more like, pitch his plan to Bella. She seemed relaxed enough, and he was considering what to say when he felt a foot connect with his shin under the table. Alice was giving him a pointed look, and he suddenly had the urge to kick her back. He could never figure out how someone so small could be so damn annoying.

"Umm Bella, I wanted to discuss something with you." he began and was pleased to see that her expression had become curious. He had obviously gained her attention.

Bella slid her sunglasses down her nose and rested them on her bag. She placed her elbow on the table and curled her hand around the back of her neck. "What?"

"Well, I was thinking that maybe you could come to Washington with me and stay until you felt better," he purposely left out the _'and until your assassin is caught'_ part.

Bella blinked at him and slowly straightened. She opened her mouth, but Edward placed a finger on her lips silencing her. Her eyebrows went up into the air in surprise, but she remained silent.

"Just let me explain," and when she nodded he took his finger away. "It would be on a temporary basis. Right now you're in a position where you're operating at 50%. I know you're not comfortable being around people, especially people you don't know,"

"But what about my therapy and my follow-up visits?" she asked.

"That's the great thing. I spoke to my father and he's willing to oversee your medical treatment. As for your Physiotherapy, he knows someone at the hospital who's really good."

Bella remembered that Edward had told her that his father was a doctor at Seattle University Hospital.

Bella shook her head and raised her chin stubbornly. "I don't want anyone's charity Edward."

Edward shrugged. "Fine, then pay him. I don't think he'll take the money, but good luck trying to make him."

Alice frowned at Edward, but he ignored her. The way to get what _he_ wanted was to give Bella what _she_ wanted. If she thought trying to pay his father would work, then by all means let her do it. He had laid his cards on the table where that particular situation was concerned, so when his father refused the money, she could never say that he hadn't warned her.

Bella turned the whole thing over in her mind and tried to find a reason to say 'no'. She had to admit that the idea did hold some appeal for her. She wasn't sure how she felt about being here and going home to a house she couldn't remember, with neighbours who were strangers.

"What about my medical records?" she asked weakly, and Edward smelt an upcoming victory.

He pulled out a red USB key from his pocket and showed it to her. After he had discussed his plan with Dr V, she had put everything on the memory stick. Whatever else there was had been emailed directly to his father and he had confirmed its receipt.

"Whatever you need is here and my dad has the rest." he coaxed, "So what do you think? Will you come?"

She hesitated, but then Alice put out a hand and caught hers. "I'll come with you if you want."

Bella's eyes met hers and she stared at her in disbelief. "What?"

Alice smiled reassuringly. "If you go to Washington, I'll come down and keep you company. I was looking for an excuse anyway to take a vacation and to check out a new location for another one of my Cafes. This would be the perfect opportunity."

"B-but where would I stay?" she asked, knowing that by asking that question she had agreed to Edward's plan.

"My parents have two extra rooms and they would be glad to have you. They miss you." he offered and suddenly he looked a bit uncomfortable. "Or….you could stay with me. I have three empty bedrooms and you can have your pick of any."

Bella sighed. Well it seemed as if all the plans had been made and now only her confirmation was needed. She figured it could not be worst then being here alone with no memory. At least she would be with Edward and Alice and from what she gathered, people who loved and cared about her.

She stared directly into Edward's eyes and said the word he had been hoping to hear, "Yes"

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~***

Bella stepped through the front door of her house and drew to an abrupt halt. She felt an irrational feeling of dread assail her and her breathing quickened. A flicker of something passed across her mind and immediately after the dread, a feeling of lost followed.

She put her hand to her throat and would have retraced her steps outside had Edward not come up behind her, unintentionally trapping her inside. Talk about being caught between a rock and a hard place, so to speak.

The last time she had been inside this house, she had almost lost her life. Even though her memories were clouded, her survival instincts kicked in and a small voice in her head told her to run and run now.

Edward was coming up the walkway when he almost ran into Bella. Her frozen, inert form was standing just inside the front door and suddenly she took a step back, almost running into him.

He set the luggage down on the floor and placed his hand on her shoulder. Almost jumping a mile in the air, she let out a small squawk of fright.

"Bella, its okay. Calm down." His voice was so close to her ear that she felt his warm breath ruffle her hair and tickle her neck.

"I-I can't breathe," she choked out, and Edward quickly turned her to face him.

Her eyes were wide with fright, giving new meaning to the phrase _'deer caught in the headlights'_. Her face was incredibly pale and a light sheen of perspiration coated her skin. Her breath was coming in short, quick bursts and he felt a shiver run through her body.

"Listen to me," he commanded, "Watch my mouth." He breathed in and out slowly through his mouth and motioned for her to imitate his movements.

However, staring at his lips had the opposite effect on Bella. She _stopped_ breathing. Being this close to him and staring at his perfect lips was almost too much to handle. She stood like that for a few seconds, just staring at his lips and then into his brilliant emerald eyes. The entire world receded and her mind went blank. It was only when her chest began to burn from lack of oxygen and Edward yelled her name, did she inhale sharply. Air flooded her lungs and the burning sensation immediately subsided.

He shook her gently. "Are you okay? What happened?"

Bella lowered her eyes. She knew what he meant, but she decided to pretend ignorance.

"I-I don't think I can go in there," she said lamely.

He ran his hands down her arms and then caught her hands, linking their fingers.

"Come on. Everything will be okay," he coaxed and continued into the living room. "I'm here."

Edward sat Bella on the couch and returned outside to reclaim the bags. When he returned, she was still seated, but looking around as if trying to re-familiarised herself with her surroundings.

"You can look around if you like. After all it is your home," he said as he put the bags at the bottom of the stairs.

"I know. Just feels weird," she whispered, "I should feel good about being here, but I feel as if I'm trespassing in someone else's life. I feel as if I shouldn't be here, and I feel as if there's something missing."

Edward raised an eyebrow. "Missing?"

Bella nodded. "Yes, as if something or someone is missing."

She got up and leaning on her cane, instinctively went towards the kitchen. She looked around and her eyes were drawn to the floor beside the cupboard.

Edward watched her for a few seconds, and when he saw her eyes stare at one particular spot in the kitchen, it hit him what Bella was talking about. Charlie.

He had no doubts that as soon as Bella arrived at home, Charlie usually greeted her. He would have been waiting for her. Been the first _'person'_ Bella would have seen. He knew he had to tell her, but he couldn't find the words. She was already freaking out about being inside the house, and they had only arrived a few minutes ago. God only knew what her reaction would be to this piece of news.

"Uh Bella," he began, his voice hoarse with emotion, "Maybe you should sit down,"

Bella gave him a puzzled and slightly impatient look. "Why?"

"I need to explain something to you," he said quietly, and watched as Bella's body stiffened instinctively.

When she was once again sitting, he sat beside her. He hated to be the bearer of further bad news, and in her current emotional state, her reaction could range from crying to complete indifference. He ran his fingers through his tousled hair and decided to jump in at the deep end.

"There is something missing and his name was Charlie."

Bella looked confused. "Charlie? Is that my husband? Boyfriend? And what do you mean _'was'_?"

Edward sighed and answered her questions in the order she had asked them. "No, no and he died. Charlie was your dog,"

"My dog…"

As she muttered the words, she got a flash of memory of a small, white dog with a little red leash in its mouth. She felt her stomach began its slow churn and she took a few breaths to dispel the urge to vomit. As quickly as the memory resurfaced, it vanished and once again Bella was left feeling like a person out of her time.

"H-how did he die?"

Edward swallowed painfully. "From what I gather, when you were attacked, he tried to help you. He was shot."

Bella's automatically covered her mouth in horror. "Oh my God!! How could someone be so cruel?"

He didn't have an answer to her question so he kept quiet. He doubted she would have heard him anyhow. She seemed to be lost in her thoughts.

After a few minutes, she drew in a deep breath and sighed. Would the bad news ever stop coming? Would all this ever come to an end? She angrily brushed away a single tear and stood abruptly - or as abruptly as she could given her current state.

"I-I need to take a bath," she announced, as if this act would immediately solve all her problems.

Edward nodded in understanding and this surprised her. It seemed that very little surprised Edward. He always seemed on top of everything. What she wouldn't give to have even 10% of his control.

"Your bedroom is to the left at the top of the stairs. I'll bring your bags up later."

She nodded and headed for the stairs. As she reached the bottom, she stared up at them and scowled. She hated stairs. At the hospital she had had very little dealings with stairs as there was the wonderful invention called the Elevator. Now that she was back in the real world, stairs would prove to be a challenge. She would have to learn to navigate all over again. A bum leg did not exactly make your ascent or descent a graceful production. Oh well, live and learn right?

Bella had taken four of the steps when a thought suddenly occurred to her. She turned in mid stride and stared at Edward. He was still seated on the couch, but his eyes followed her every move.

"Did they treat him well?" she asked, her voice almost nonexistent.

Edward looked sad. "I don't know. By the time I got here, he was already gone."

"Oh," she said thinking hard, "C-could you find out? It doesn't have to be now, but I'd just like to know they took care of him. Seems only right. He died protecting me."

Edward did the only thing he could - he nodded. Emotion made him incapable of speech and he felt his eyes burn. She gave him one last sad, guilty smile before she continued up the stairs.


	10. Transitions Pt 2 Another Door Opens

**wA/N: WOW!! I made it pass the 50 review mark. I am so happy. Thanks so much you guys. **

**Well this A/N will be short because I pretty much covered my explanations for the Part 1 and Part 2 in the previous chapter. Just wanted to clear up one point, Edward and Alice are not related in this story. They are just really good friends.**

**Oh yeah, I have a joke for you. It's not really the funny HAHA type, but the ironic kind. Well if you have read my A/N from Chapter 5 you'll know that I ordered my copy of the Twilight DVD, and was anxiously awaiting its arrival. Well because of where I am located, the estimated DD was today (11****th**** April, 2009). Guess what? I received the notification to collect from the Post Office on Thursday (9****th**** April). I guess you're wondering what the joke is right? Well, I received the notice when I arrived home from work (about 6pm and the PO closes at 3pm). In addition to that, we are in the midst of a…………. freaking 4 day weekend. Which means I cannot collect it until Tuesday (BOO HOO). I had such great plans for that DVD during the long weekend, but you know what? I now have the time to write at least 3 more chapters of this story. So I guess there is an upside to this entire situation.**

**Well enough of my chatter and of course I broke my promise about the short A/N. Sorry.**

**Part 2's song is **_Say When_** by **_The Fray_**. As before, a live version of this song is on my profile. Just click on the playlist link. **

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~***

**Previously..............**

_Edward did the only thing he could - he nodded. Emotion made him incapable of speech and he felt his eyes burn. She gave him one last sad, guilty smile before she continued up the stairs._

**Chapter 9 – Transitions Part 2 – Another Door Opens **

Bella leaned her head against the cold tiled surface of the shower, and closed her eyes. The warm water unknotted her tense muscles and she felt herself relax. While her body was in relaxation mode, her mind was not quite so lucky. Edward's news about Charlie had hit her hard - much harder than she has anticipated. Obviously she had loved him. So much so, that even though she could not remember, she felt the lost as acutely as if she could.

She heard an anguished cry, and was surprised that the sound issued from her lips. Sobs racked her body until she lost the strength to stand, and she slid slowly to the floor. She drew her knees up to her chest, and the water continued to beat down on her head, neck and shoulders.

She lost all track of time as she sat there shivering from grief, and the now cold water. Knowing that eventually Edward would come looking for her, she pulled herself up and quickly turned off the faucet. She wrapped a towel around her body, reached for her much hated third leg, and stepped out of the shower.

A quick glance into the now foggy bathroom mirror told her all she needed to know. She looked like Hell. Wet hair plastered to her scalp, red eyes and an equally red nose, inside a pale face. Even her lips had lost their colour.

She sighed. She was going to have to fix the damage her little crying spree had done before she went back downstairs. If Edward saw her like this, he would probably start to worry and might just have a heart attack.

He seemed to do that often – worry. Sometimes she though he worried about her more than she did herself. If she was correct in her thinking, that added up to a super massive amount of worry.

She giggled a little at the memory of Edward's worried face. His eyebrows would almost touch each other in the center above his nose when he frowned, and he eyes would turn a darker shade of green. Very cute.

"_Whoa,"_ she thought, _"Where had that come from?"_

One did not describe men as cute. Cute was reserved for babies and bunnies. Not sexy, drop dead, mind boggling, handsome men like Edward.

She groaned, and chastised herself for even allowing the thoughts as to the level of Edward's sexiness, to enter her mind. Well, she definitely did not have to do much with her face, as her eyes and nose now matched.

Half hour later, Bella was sitting on her bed running the comb through her now dry hair. Clad only in her underwear, she went over to the chest of drawers, and pulled open one of its drawers. It revealed more underwear in various styles and hues. She went through two more drawers before she found what she was searching for. A white tank top and a pair of wide legged, black yoga pants.

She smoothed the shirt over her flat stomach, and then looked at herself in the full length mirror. She looked okay – not that she would ever stop traffic. She continued to critique herself and she frowned. She wasn't ugly, but she wasn't extremely beautiful either. Her soft, bone straight brown hair hung to her shoulders and she tucked a section of it behind her ear.

She felt as if a stranger was staring back at her from the opposite side of the mirror. She felt so useless and out of place. She had hoped that when she came home, she would feel as if all of this was familiar. However, all she had experienced was fear and even more confusion.

"I guess this is not going to be as easy as I had hoped," she told her reflection, and gave a slight yelp when there was a knock on the door.

A moment later, Edward's head came around the door and he grinned at her. His earlier gloomy mood seemed to have lifted.

"Was wondering if you left any water for the rest of the neighbours?"

She gave him a small smile. "There's plenty left. I was just trying to find clothes. Since I can't remember where anything is, it's been…..interesting."

Edward stepped into the room and Bella noticed that he had replaced his street clothes with a fitted, grey printed t-shirt and a pair of black shorts. He was also bare-footed, and she bit her lip when she realised that he had great feet. Was there anything on this man that wasn't near to perfection?

"Interesting?" he asked, leaning against the door jamb.

"Uh huh," she mumbled, tearing her gaze away from his feet. "I have loads of underwear. Did you know that?"

He grinned and blushed a bit. "Yeah, I found that out by accident when I was looking for clothes for you."

Now it was Bella's turn to go red. The thought of Edward's hands on her most intimate things made her stomach do strange little somersaults.

"Oh," she said and went to sit on the bed. "Maybe I have an underwear fetish. What do you think?"

Edward chuckled. "Could be. After all you do have an extraordinary amount of underwear. More than is normal for one person to wear in a lifetime."

She threw him a dirty look. "Hey you asked."

During their conversation, Bella felt her earlier tension disappear. She felt more grounded and peaceful. She realised that Edward's presence seemed to have that effect on her. He seemed to be her own personal form of Valium. She was suddenly struck with a feeling of guilt. She began to see their 'relationship' as being extremely one sided. She got all the benefits, but what exactly did Edward get out of this? From what she could see – nothing.

This worried her. Suppose he began to feel used? What would he do? Would he get fed-up and leave?

"Are you hungry?" he asked, completely oblivious to her turmoil.

It had been a couple hours since lunch, but she still felt full. She shook her head and yawned. "Not really, just a bit tired. It's been a long day and we still have a lot to do if we're going to leave for Washington tomorrow."

"Okay. Get some rest and I'll get us something to eat a little later. If you can't sleep, you can always tour the house," he paused, weighing his words. "It might help to bring back some memories."

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~***

Edward extracted his laptop from its bag and placed it on the coffee table. He plugged in the power cord, connected the loose end into the electrical outlet, and switched on the computer.

He drummed his fingers on the table as he patiently waited for the computer to complete its booting process. After typing in his password, he performed all the other necessary mundane tasks. When this was completed, he logged on to his favourite Instant Messenger program and quickly scanned through his list of online contacts.

He had wanted to speak with Emmett last night, but after saying good-bye to Alice and returning to his hotel room, he had fallen into an exhausted sleep.

As expected, Emmett or should he say _**'SexyEMCUL'**_ was logged on. Within seconds a window popped up on his screen with a display picture of Emmett flexing his muscles on the left hand side of the box.

_**SexyEMCUL:**__**Yo lil Bro. Waz wondering when you were going to log on**_

Edward's fingers quickly typed a reply.

_**PianoPlayer101: Yeah, Bella came home today so there was a lot to do**_

_**SexyEMCUL: I know. I spoke to Dad and he told me about your plan. You seriously have big brass ones LOL**_

Edward made a face and rolled his eyes.

_**PianoPlayer101: Whateva. Well she agreed to come and we'll be in Washington tomorrow afternoon**_

_**SexyEMCUL: Cool. How is Lil' sis?**_

_**PianoPlayer101: She's trying to be brave, but this whole thing has her licked**_

_**SexyEMCUL: Get her here soon so we can work on her. She needs to be around family. Hey that reminds me, have you told her the truth?**_

_**PianoPlayer101:HELL NO!!!! I told you she was coming didn't I? You seriously think she would have; had I told her the truth?**_

_**SexyEMCUL:LOL. As I said before, BIG BRASS ones. But seriously, how are you dealing with all this?**_

_**PianoPlayer101:I……..I'm scared Em. Being honest, I have no freaking idea what I'm doing**_

_**SexyEMCUL:????????**_

_**PianoPlayer101:Ok, I bring her home and then what?? How am I going to keep hiding everything from her? Not only that, but I still have no leads on who did this to her and why? I'm digging a deeper hole for myself every minute I'm with her**_

_**SexyEMCUL:Yo Eddie, chill out. One thing at a time. That has always been your problem. You try to take on the world and fix all its problems. It can't be done. First thing you need to do is bring her home and let her family take care of the rest**_

_**PianoPlayer101:But………………..**_

_**SexyEMCUL:No buts. We're a family and we take care of our own**_

_**PianoPlayer101:Thanks Em**_

Edward heard Bella's soft footsteps on the stairs, and he knew she would soon reach the bottom. The fragrance of her soap assailed his nostrils, and he felt as if once again he had been hit in the gut. He had always been acutely aware of Bella almost from the time they had met, and instead of it lessening, it just got worst. Especially now that they had been apart for so long a period of time.

Suddenly there was a loud, annoying dinging noise being emitted by his computer, and he realised that Emmett had sent him a nudge since he had taken so long to respond.

_**SexyEMCUL:Hey, R U still there?**_

_**PianoPlayer101:Yeah, but I gotta go. Bella's coming downstairs**_

_**SexyEMCUL:No prob. Tell her I said HI and email the itinerary to me and Dad. We'll be at the airport and kid brother………..**_

_**PianoPlayer101:Yeah?**_

_**SexyEMCUL:Hang in there. The Calvary is coming**_

Edward smiled and logged out. Sometimes Emmett could be so corny, but he had a good heart. He turned in the chair to look at Bella. She was sitting on the bottom step, her elbows resting on the knees, with her chin propped in her palms. She was watching him with a strange expression on her face, and Edward began to feel a bit uncomfortable. Had he done something wrong?

"Hey." he said awkwardly.

She smiled, and continued watching him thoughtfully. "Hey."

"Is there something on my face?" he asked, his discomfort doubling.

"What?" she seemed startled by his question, and quickly lowered her eyes to the floor, "Uh no,"

Edward raised an eyebrow, "So why were you staring at me?"

"I was trying to remember you – from before," she explained suddenly feeling shy. God she felt so dumb. She had never intended for him to catch her watching him. Thank goodness he couldn't read minds.

"By the way, Emmett said '_Hi'_," he grinned and she gave him a questioning look, "My older brother and one of your biggest fans."

"Oh," was all she said, and gestured towards his laptop, "Tell him I said _'Hi'_ back."

"You'll get your chance tomorrow. I can assure you he'll be one of the first people at the airport when we arrive."

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~***

Bella touched the glossy surface of the photograph which had been hung up to dry along with about six others. It was a beautiful 8 x 10 black and white photo of a small dog playing with toys of assorted shapes and sizes. She felt a lump rise in her throat, and pushed the grief deep down inside where she wouldn't have to think about it. There would be time for that later.

She felt Edward's presence behind her in the doorway, and she looked back at him over her left shoulder. He was staring at the picture in her hand, and Bella saw pain in his eyes.

"Charlie right?" her voice was so low that he almost missed the question.

He nodded and cleared his throat. "Yes."

"He was beautiful." Her voice broke, and Edward came over and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Yeah and a goof ball, but you loved him,"

A strained silence filled the air, and Edward knew he should say something but it escaped him what to say. He had forgotten to check the dark room before Bella came home. If he had, he would have removed them. But upon reflection, maybe he was too busy shielding her from her past. Maybe she needed a few memories to help her heal.

"So," she said after a while, "I'm a photographer?"

Edward took the photo from her hand, hung it back up, flicked off the light and pulled her out of the room. He directed her toward the kitchen and sat her at the table.

During her absence, he had set the table for two and the only things missing were the two plates. She stared at the forks, water filled glasses and napkins on the table, and had a feeling of déjà vu. Why did she get the feeling that this was not the first time he had done this for her, and why did it make her feel all warm and cosy inside?

"Umm hmm." He mumbled, and moved away to the counter where he began to put the Chicken Fettuccine he had prepared earlier, onto the two waiting plates. He then placed the salad into its own separate bowl.

"I never thought to ask if I had a job." she muttered to herself, and then looked around at her house. Obviously she did.

"Actually," Edward said as he placed a plate with her food in front of her. He then put the salad bowl in the center of the table. "You have more than one job."

She looked mortified. "More than one? Am I a flighty person? God I hope not."

Edward threw back his head and laughed. He touched his index finger to the tip of her nose. "Silly Bella, of course not."

Bella's nose tingled where Edward had touched it, and she felt herself blush. She peeked at him from underneath her lashes, and saw that he was now putting his plate on the table opposite hers. He sat, and after serving them both some salad, he quickly put a forkful of pasta into his mouth.

"You're a Photographer by profession, but you tutor students from the University in English on a part time basis. You also help Alice manage her businesses. So technically you have three jobs." he explained after he had swallowed his food. He suddenly grinned at her. "You're not flighty, just talented."

Bella looked pleased. "Oh, okay."

She dug into her meal with renewed gusto and closing her eyes, almost moaned with pleasure. Her second meal since leaving the hospital, and it was almost as good as her first. Hospital food was interesting to put it mildly. You could live on it but it tasted like crap in comparison to what she had had earlier today, and now.

Edward's chuckle brought her back to reality and she caught him watching her, an amused expression on his face. She once again felt her face flare up, and she glared at him, daring him to say a word. He shook his head and continued eating.

"So, am I any good?" she asked after she had taken the last bite.

He looked puzzled. "Any good at what exactly?"

She rolled her eyes. "Photography,"

Instead of answering, he got up from the table and went over to his laptop bag which was lying on the couch. He riffled around inside one of the pockets, and then extracted a medium sized book. He placed it on the table beside her and gestured towards it.

"Judge for yourself,"

Bella put her fork down and touched the smooth, glossy cover of the book. It was entitled _**'Life – Photos From Within'**_ and featured a simple photo of a person's bare feet propped on a table with an open window in the background. Unable to contain herself, she opened to the front page. The dedication read,

_**For all those who believed in me and my talent**_

_**This is for You, Lovers, Families, Friends and Strangers**_

_**Bella Swan (2008)**_

She felt tears well up in her eyes, and she slowly took up the book and left the table. She limped over to the couch, sat with her good leg tucked under her, and again opened the book's pages.

By the time she had reached the end, the tears flowed freely. She rubbed her nose and sniffed. The photographs displayed inside spoke of a person who was extremely talented, and she had a hard time believing she had produced something so beautiful. She, who could not remember what she had done two months ago. She, who felt so empty and hollowed out inside. Her fingers went numb, and the book would have fallen had Edward not caught it.

She had been so caught up in the book and discovering that she actually had a personality, that she failed to notice he was kneeling in front of her. He placed the book on the floor beside him and laced his fingers through hers.

"Are you okay?" he whispered.

Bella nodded and gave him a watery smile. "Y-yes. It's just hard to believe that I took all those beautiful pictures. There's so much talent and heart in them, and some of them are so sad."

Edward was speechless, and then he felt a bit of anger rise to the surface. "Listen to me. Because you can't remember makes you no less of a person. You're talented – extremely talented and I never want you to doubt that. Okay?"

She gave him a teasing smile, and Edward felt his heart drop into his stomach. "You always walk around with a copy of my book?"

He grinned sheepishly, and rose to sit beside her still holding one of her hands. "Only the most recent,"

Her mouth formed an O as she caught his meaning.

"You have six. Including the one you did for the Vancouver Tourism Association," he smiled and shrugged, "That one's a little too big to lug around with, so I had to settle for this one."

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~***

By the time they had finished packing, Bella was obviously dead on her feet. Edward thought that she might actually collapse from exhaustion. He knew that sleeping had become a problem due to the nightmares she seemed to have. That in addition to being inside the house where she had almost died was probably freaking her out.

Edward took the bag out of her hands, and placed it on the floor beside the others. They had managed to pack up a considerable amount of things since they had arrived, and Alice would not have as much work to do during the coming week.

"Bella, its 4:00am. You need to get some rest." He watched as her drooping eyelids shot up in alarm.

"I'm fine. I'm not tired. We need to get everything finished before we leave for the airport."

"My point exactly," he mumbled and with that, he swept her off her feet bridal style, and strode into her bedroom.

"Edward! Put me down." she protested.

"Sure." he agreed, and laid her gently on the bed.

She made a half hearted attempt to get off the bed, but Edward grabbed her arm and arrested her flight. She threw him an exasperated look.

"You need to rest." he said firmly.

He then did something that surprised them both. He lifted the sheet, slid under and pulled her along with him. He then reached out and switched off the bedside lamp, plunging the room into semi darkness. As he settled her against his body, she stiffened for a minute, but then relaxed when she realized that there was no winning this argument.

"I'm not going to go to sleep you know," she grumbled, resting her head on his shoulder. She felt him shake slightly, and could swear that he was laughing at her.

"Okay, neither am I," he answered with a smile in his voice. She tried to look up at him to confirm her suspicions, but he placed his chin on the top of her head, effectively stopping her attempt.

"You are so bossy." She gripped, and felt herself become drowsy. He laughed quietly.

"If I had a nickel for every time you said that, I would be a millionaire."

"Hmmmm," was Bella's only response as the sleep she had been trying to avoid, caught up with her and tumbled her into oblivion.

Forty-five minutes later, Edward was still awake. As he laid there with his arm around Bella, listening to her breathe in and out, his brain refused to shut down. He had always loved to watch her sleep. She always seemed so peaceful and even more incredibly beautiful. He inhaled the scent of her shampoo and smiled when he realised that was one thing she had not changed over the years. She had always smelled of strawberries, lavender and freesia.

During their time apart, whenever he smelt any of those fragrances, he would always think of and miss her. One particular time it had been so bad, he had gone to a bar, gotten completely shit faced and had had to call Emmett to drive him home. He still marvelled at the fact that he had been able to dial the numbers. Even if he had dialed them incorrectly the first eight times.

Emmett still had the photo he had taken with his cell phone of Edward, leaning against the window, his hair standing straight up with his mouth hanging open, snoring. That was one thing that Emmett never let go, and he used it to his advantage whenever he could. By all means, it could have been worst. Like the time he had gotten drunk in college and had ended up face down in his own vomit. He shivered at the memory, and thanked his lucky stars that no one had had a camera at that time.

Bella suddenly shifted position and he froze. She mumbled something in her sleep, but then settled down again. He tightened his hold on her and kissed the top of her head. He tried to imagine what he would have been doing at this precise moment, had Bella died. Nothing came to mind, but of one thing he was absolutely certain. Had she died, he would not have wanted to go on. He would have wanted to join her, and he would have found a way to have made it happen.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~***

**A/N: My deepest apologies for the way the IM between Edward and Emmett was displayed, but FanFic doesn't seem to allow tabbed text.**

**I also need you help. Can you suggest a type of vehicle that would suit Edward? Please, please…not the Volvo. I think I killed it in Chapter 8 and it definitely cannot be resurrected. **


	11. Home

**A/N: My apologies for taking so long to update, but I have been extremely busy. That 4 day weekend we had just sent everything into a tail spin. On a more positive note, I finally got my Twilight DVD on Tuesday and I watched it twice that night…..YEAH ME!! Whoo Hoo!!**

**Now on to the thank you segment. I want to thank everyone who read, reviewed and added my story to their favourites and alerts. I also want to say a heart felt thank you, to all who made suggestions for the type of car Edward should have. You should know my decision by next chapter.**

**Well for those who wanted more of the Cullens in this story, then here's the chapter for you. Oh yeah, to **Katie (aka GerryLittleMissSunshine08)**, I know how much you love Carlisle, so there's a bit of him in the chapter LOL.**

**Almost forgot – I must ask the forgiveness of anyone who reads this story, and lives in Washington or have ties there. I tried really hard to get my facts straight on certain landmarks and their positions, but I am not perfect and spent hours on the internet and on Google maps, trying to get everything right. I have always wanted to visit, but never have, so please forgive me if some references are incorrect. If you can give me some pointers, I would REALLY, REALLY appreciate it.**

**The dedicated song for this chapter is **_Home_** by **_Daughtry_**. It also happens to be the name of the chapter, so you can see how appropriate it is. If you are accustomed to reading this story then you know about the playlist link on my profile page, if not then go check it out.**

**Now that I have talked your ear off, let's proceed down the yellow brick road…………………………………**

**Chapter 10 – Home**

"Ladies and gentlemen, we'll be landing at Sea-Tac International Airport in about 20 minutes. Please use this opportunity to request any further food or beverages from your flight attendant," the disembodied female voice of one of the Flight Attendants, instructed through the intercom, "In about 10 minutes, we'll require you to shut off and put away all electronic devices, return your seats and tray tables to their original positions, and put on your seat belts. Thank you."

There was a small ding indicating that the woman had finished her long speech. and Bella opened her eyes. She stared out through the window and was greeted by fluffy white clouds. Obviously they were too high to see any land, and Bella felt a bit disappointed. Since she had no recollection of travelling in a plane, she would have liked to see something other than blue sky and clouds. She saw a cloud which resembled a giraffe, and then another which she identified as a cat. It was at that time that she realised her mind was way too idle. Next she would be seeing an entire zoo in the sky.

She needed to find something to focus her thoughts on. Anything with the exception of what was coming – meeting Edward's family. She was terrified and she had to admit a bit – okay, a lot curious. Edward had confirmed that his father, mother and brother would meet them at the airport, and that she had absolutely no reason to be worried. They were excited to see her again. Well that made everything just great, didn't it? No worries at all. Then why did she feel like she was being placed in front of a firing squad?

Bella frowned and adjusted the tan coloured knit beret on her head. She had chosen her clothes with the utmost care for this meeting. When Alice had come over the morning to help them with the final preparations, she had given Bella the thumbs up. Now with the meeting only half of an hour away, she was beginning to wonder if she had made the correct choices. She had tried to be practical as well as dress in clothing that would withstand the trip. Her jeans, tan sweater shirt and sneakers were comfortable and stylish. She had added an off white jacket to the mix as a precautionary measure, when Edward had warned her that the weather in Washington could be unpredictable at times.

She turned in her seat towards Edward. His laptop was sitting opened on his tray table, but his head was leaned against the seat. His eyes were closed, and his breathing was steady and even.

Bella used this opportunity to study his face without the embarrassment of having him catch her watching him. He seemed so peaceful, and she knew he had to be exhausted. She had woken up at 9:00am to find him gone from her side. Automatically, she had panicked and gone looking for him.

To her surprise and delight, she had found him in the kitchen putting the last touches on their breakfast. She realised that he had been up for some time as he had already had his shower, and was now dressed in jeans and a t-shirt. Another indication as to his early rise was the four new boxes containing more of her stuff, which had been packed, labeled in his elegant script and awaiting storage. She had felt guilty that while she had been sleeping, he had been up working.

Suddenly, Edward pinched the bridge of his nose, sighed and slowly opened his eyes. He blinked a few times and then as if feeling her watchful eyes on him, he turned to her. He gave her that little crooked smile that she was quickly beginning to adore.

"Hi," he said, his velvet voice slightly hoarse with sleep, "You okay?"

Bella nodded, "Sure, we'll be landing in about 15 minutes,"

"Okay," he yawned and closed the screen of the computer. Pushing the table to its upright position, he felt around under the seat opposite him. He retrieved the bag and slid the device home.

"Edward, did you get any sleep last night?" she asked , her voice held a hint of reproach.

"A bit," he lied.

To be honest, he had not had a wink of sleep. With her in his arms, he seemed incapable of sleep. As he had laid there and listened to the quiet sounds of her breathing, his mind had unwillingly taken him back to a time years before, when they had been happy. A time before all the bad stuff and the anger.

Bella had made him a special dinner for them to celebrate his success at closing his first major case. He had been on the trail of a major drug and arms dealer for the past few months, and he had finally managed to discover his location. Their team had descended on his hideout and had taken him into custody. After they had eaten, Bella had led him outside and they had sat together on the patio swing, wrapped up in each other's arms. They had talked for what had seemed like hours, and had then ended up making out like a couple of crazy teenagers.

That was one of the things he missed about Bella. She could make the most mundane thing seem so exciting. She had always been the _'we can do anything'_ person in the relationship. He on the other hand, had always been the one who had kept their feet planted firmly on the ground. Bella used to tease him that he really needed to loosen up, and be a bit more spontaneous. Her idea of spontaneity had been a surprise sky diving trip. A trip which he swore he was still trying to recover from.

Bella glanced outside, and knew that they were loosing altitude as they were now engulfed in a cloud bank. At that precise moment, the plane shook and she reached out and grabbed Edward's hand. There was another shudder, and she would have jumped into his lap had she not been restrained by the seat belt. He chuckled and squeezed her hand.

"Turbulence. Sometime happens when the plane descends," he explained, "It'll soon stablise."

A Flight Attendant who was checking with the passengers in their section, came over to them and smiled. She had a sleek cap of blonde hair and her eyes automatically focused on Bella and Edward's clasped hands. Her bright smiled faltered for a split second but then she quickly recovered. She gave Bella the once over and obviously finding her lacking, directed her question to him alone.

"Can I get you anything?" she asked, her voice slightly breathless.

Talk about a question with a double meaning. Bella had no doubt that Edward's presence was the reason for the woman's sudden inability to breathe. She gritted her teeth as she felt anger snake its way through her. Some people had absolutely no shame.

"Do you need anything?" he asked her, his question forced the Attendant to acknowledge Bella's presence.

"No," she grounded out and experienced a perverse sense of pleasure, when the woman looked embarrassed. She understood that Bella was aware of her not so subtle come on. Edward on the other hand was completely oblivious because he turned back to the woman, said "No thanks," and ignored her after that.

The Attendant all but stalked off, and Bella giggled. Edward gave her a quizzical look, but left it alone. That only resulted in her erupting into a fit of giggles. A couple of passengers turned to stare at her, and she bit her lip in an attempt to bring an end to her laughter.

"You sure you're okay?" Edward looked a bit worried and scared. Maybe he thought she had lost her mind.

She nodded, tears streaming from her eyes. "Oh that was priceless,"

"Care to share?" he asked, releasing her hand and snapping his seat belt on.

Bella shook her head and grinned at him. If she thought that he even had the foggiest idea that the Attendant had been flirting with him, she would have teased him. Since he did not, she had no intention of making him aware of what had just transpired. After all, there was nothing wrong with protecting your friend right? Nope, nothing at all.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~***

Standing in the main arrival hall of the airport were four people, and Bella felt her heart thud loudly inside her chest. The tall handsome, blonde haired man and the attractive woman by his side with the long wavy, hair the colour of golden caramel, were obviously Edward's parents. Standing beside them was another man. He was tall, handsome, and it was apparent that he spent a great deal of time in the gym. He was muscular, but not overly so, with dark curly hair and a ready smile. This smile he directed at the obscenely beautiful blonde woman at his side. Her long, silky hair drifted past her shoulders and down her back. She had the body of a model, and the dark blue skinny jeans and close fitting, white, button down blouse called even more attention to her beauty. Bella glanced down at her sweater, jeans and sneakers, and felt as if she had just strolled out of the dump.

What was she thinking? These people, including Edward, looked as if they had just stepped off the pages of some magazine. A magazine which only catered to all the other beautiful people on the planet.

She instantly felt ugly, plain and uncomfortable.

Her steps slowed to a crawl, and she wondered if she chose to disappear now, how long would it take for Edward to find her? She glanced at her travel companion out of the corner of her eye, and saw that he was grinning widely at the group of people.

She was still contemplating making a break for it, when he caught her hand in his and turned to face her. The expression on his face was supposed to be one of reassurance, but all she felt was apprehension and the need to flee. For a split second she wondered if the plane had left as yet. Maybe she could catch it or anything, and leave this place and these people.

"Are you ready?" he asked.

Bella swallowed and managed to croak out, "No. Tell them I had to leave,"

"Come on, they don't bite," he said, and tightened his hold on her hand when he saw her eyes dart toward one of the many exits. He recognized that look. The animal trapped in a corner look she got, whenever she found herself in a situation which she would rather not be in.

"What if they don't like me?" she hissed, "What if they think I'm strange?"

Edward sighed. He was wondering when this would come up. "Bella, you have to remember one thing, you're like a part of my family. You ate dinner at my parent's house almost every night. If they didn't like you or find you strange then, I doubt highly they will now. So will you try this for me? Please?"

At his plea, Bella felt her defenses crumble like a poorly constructed building. Edward never asked her for anything. Throughout all this, he had always given to her, but never asked for anything in return. The least she could do was to grow a pair, walk the few final steps, and greet these people who were clearly pleased at her return.

And anyway, it looked like the big guy was about to charge them since they were taking so long. The only thing holding him back seemed to be the blonde. She was standing in front of him wearing a determined expression and blocking his escape. Bella overhead her say in a firm, but musical voice, "Emmett behave. Don't let me have to hurt you."

Apparently Edward overhead this as well because he chuckled. "Way to go Rose. I forgot to tell you, my brother can be a bit overzealous at times, so don't be afraid,"

Bella's eyes opened wide at this piece of advice. What on Earth could he possibly mean by that? She opened her mouth to ask him, but her words were cut off by an indignant shriek. Shortly after that a body slammed into hers, and enveloped her into a bone crushing hug. She felt the air whoosh out of her lungs, and little starbursts of light exploded in front her eyes. She felt her feet leave the ground as the person hugging her spun her around, and continued squeezing.

There was some sort of commotion happening behind her, but she couldn't see because her face was shoved into the person's chest. She let out a cry of alarm, but it sounded more like the cry of a very small, sick kitten or a dying chicken. Her chest began to burn from lack of oxygen and she tried to make her distress known, but to no avail.

"C-can't breathe," she choked out. However, the only reward she received for her efforts was another face full of shirt material.

"Emmett Cullen, put her down right this minute. You're crushing her." Another musical voice ordered, and the pressure around her body slackened. She felt her feet touch ground again, and her legs wobbled slightly. The hands that had just crushed her steadied her, when she would have fallen to the ground in a pile of arms and legs.

"What the hell?" Edward demanded and pulled Bella away from the bear-hugger, "Do you want to kill her?"

Bella looked into the face of Emmett Cullen for the first time that she could remember. His blue eyes twinkled mischievously, and he grinned sheepishly. The expression he wore reminded her of a child being caught with his hand inside the cookie jar.

"Sorry Bells," he apologized and gave her the once over, "Anything broken?"

Bella moved away from Edward and flexed her arms. Everything seemed to be intact, and she realised that everyone was staring at her waiting to see what her reaction would be. The earlier fright she had felt was slowly slipping away, and she began to see the humorous side of the situation.

"Emmett right?" she asked with a small smile, and felt the others relax.

Emmett's face lit up like a Christmas tree. "You remember me?"

Bella shook her head and laughed. "No, but Edward warned me about you,"

"Uh oh, that doesn't sound good," Emmett muttered, "What did he say?"

Bella threw Edward a glance and saw him shake his head vigorously. Emmet caught this movement, and threw him a dirty look. "Hmmm, something about being a bit overzealous,"

"That's an understatement," she heard another voice mutter.

Carlisle Cullen walked over to them and smiled down at Bella. He seemed to want to do more, but understanding the situation, he settled for patting her on the shoulder. Bella saw immediately where Edward got his good looks.

"How are you? Did you have a good flight?" he asked her and took her hand luggage.

"I'm fine, thank you and other than a bit of turbulence at the end, the flight was great,"

When it came time for Edward's mother to deliver her welcome, she was almost as enthusiastic as Emmett had been – minus the breaking of ribs and the sudden lost of gravity. She hugged Bella for what seemed to be an eternity, pulled away and stared at her from head to toe.

"Bella, it's so good to see you," she said and Bella was surprised to see her eyes fill with tears. She then clapped her hands over her mouth and gave Edward a scolding look. "Gosh, where are our manners?"

Edward had the decency to look embarrassed. "Sorry. Bella this is my father and mother, Carlisle and Esme. You've already met Emmett," he rolled his eyes and then gestured to the blonde who was now standing beside Emmett once again, "And this is Emmett's fiancée Rosalie."

Rosalie's beautiful face broke into a welcoming smile. She shook Bella's hand and then gave her a slightly awkward one arm hug.

"It's great to finally meet you. I've heard so much about you."

Something about the last part of Rosalie's statement struck Bella as odd. Maybe it was her imagination, but she felt as if there was a lot more to that statement – a whole lot more that had gone unsaid.

"Nice to meet you as well," she mumbled, feeling her face grow warm from all the attention. "Dr and Mrs Cullen, thank you for having me."

Esme Cullen gave her a look of mock horror. "Oh no Dear, it's just Carlisle and Esme," she then shot her a conspiring wink. "All that Dr and Mrs 'thing' makes me feel old."

"Bella, you're always welcomed. It hasn't been the same since you left, no one to keep Edward in line," Carlisle laughed, and elbowed his son in the ribs.

"Dad," Edward groaned, rubbing the back of his neck.

Carlisle clapped Edward on the back and then joined Emmett by the baggage cart. He offloaded two of the bags. "Shall we go? We still have a distance to travel and the ferry leaves at 3:45pm."

"Ferry?" Bella asked, her stomach dropping about two degrees south of its normal position.

"Yeah," Emmett's voice cut in, "We don't actually live in Seattle, we live on one of the islands. Takes about 35 minutes to get there, but you'll love the trip."

Rosalie seemed to pick up on Bella's nervousness and gave her another warm smile. "The scenery is gorgeous and you can relax during the trip."

Bella shot her a slightly wobbly, but grateful smile. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~***

Emmett handed his father and brother each a cup of the coffee, which he had purchased from the on-board coffee shop. Edward took a quick sip and gagged when he burned his tongue. The temperature had grown considerably cooler since they had arrived on-board, and he welcomed the steaming cup.

"Be right back," Emmett promised and disappeared down the deck with another three cups.

Edward watched as he handed one cup to each of the women, kissed Rose on the cheek, and darted off to a side when she tried to swat him. She still had not forgiven him for what he had done to Bella at the airport.

"So, how is she?" Carlisle asked, his gaze on the woman in question. Bella was quietly sipping from her cup. She appeared to be listening to Esme's and Rosalie's conversation. Esme pointed out a few landmarks to her, and she seemed to be commenting.

Edward leaned forward in his seat and cradled the cup between his palms. "She's a mess," he stated matter of factly, "She tries to pretend otherwise, but I know different."

Carlisle sighed and smiled sadly, "Its going to be rough. Her physical injuries are one thing, but the mental ones will take much longer to heal,"

"I know. Right now she hardly sleeps, isn't eating as she should and I know she cries when she thinks I can't hear."

He thought back to the incident the day before when Bella had been in the shower. He had knocked on the bedroom door to find out if she was okay, and he had heard her sobs. It had taken all his energy not to yank the door open, barge inside and comfort her. Had he done that, it would only have resulted in more issues – issues of a more embarrassing nature.

"She does seem different," Emmett said, plopping himself down between the men, "More timid, cautious."

"Yeah, and your stupid stunt didn't help matters," Edward said sarcastically, "She almost died of fright and asphyxiation."

Emmett threw his hands up in the air, "Gee, I said I was sorry. I was just so excited to see her, so shoot me."

"Wait until I get back to work and get my gun, then I'll shoot you," he grumbled, and downed another swallow of the now warm coffee.

Carlisle looked at his sons and then at the three most captivating women in their lives. It was good to have everyone back home again.

When Bella and Edward had broken up, he had not only lost a daughter, but a son as well. The day Bella had walked out was the day Edward had left also. Maybe not physically, but mentally he disappeared piece by agonizing piece. It was not easy to watch, but he had stopped himself from interfering. Esme had begged him to intervene, but he had refused. He had put himself in Edward's position, and he knew that had he experienced the amount of lost his son had, he would probably have reacted the same way.

All he had said to Edward was that when he was ready to talk, he would be there to listen. But it had taken him two whole years to take him up on the offer. Two years where every time the phone rang, he wondered if he would receive the news that his son had died. Two years where Edward had suffered in silence, his guilt and anger slowly consuming him.

"She seems to be getting along really well with Mom and Rose,"

Emmett's voice broke through Carlisle's reverie, and he once again focused on the present.

"Never get between a bunch of women," He advised, "They're probably down there talking about us,"

As if on cue, Bella turned her head and stared at Edward. Something seemed to pass between them, and Edward drained the last of his beverage, crumpled the paper cup in his hand and stood up.

"I'm gonna go check on Bella." And with that, he flipped the cup in a nearby garbage can, and strode off down the deck.

"Did you see that?" Emmett asked his father, "It's as if they're mentally connected. All she did was to look at him and instantly he knew what to do,"

Carlisle rubbed his chin and watched his son as he reached Bella's side. She automatically leaned towards him, and his hand went to her shoulder. He leaned down to whisper something in her ear and she gave him a smile which would only be described as breathtaking.

"Yes, very interesting," Carlisle commented, his eyes now on Esme and Rosalie, who had moved away from the couple and was now walking toward them.

Emmett gave his father an incredulous look, "Interesting? It's damn creepy. What next? Telepathic conversations?"

Bella drew in a lungful of fragrant air and watched the ferry's engines turn the otherwise calm, grey waters of the Puget Sound, into a mass of foamy waves. Rosalie had been absolutely 100% correct. The scenery was gorgeous. With the Cascade Mountains to the west and the majestic, snow covered peak of Mount Rainier to the southeast, she felt awed to be surrounded by such natural beauty.

In the distance, the Seattle Space Needle was visible, along with the quickly receding Seattle skyline. The blue cloudless sky had disappeared, and now clouds heavy with the promise of rain, rolled in from the horizon. Patches of blue were still visible but Bella suspected that by the time they made it to Bainbridge, they would be entirely covered.

The wind picked up, and what hair had been left uncovered by her beret, blew into her face. She raised her hand to brush it away, but Edward beat her to it. His long fingers plucked the strands out of her eyes and tucked them behind her ear.

"Better now?" his voice was husky and his breathing seem a bit constricted.

"Yes, thanks," she said giving him a side look.

Edward's hands were now shoved into the pockets of his black jacket, and he was looking out across the vast expanse of Elliott Bay. The wind gently ruffled his bronze hair, making it into an even more styled mess. He leaned his head back, closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. Bella stared at the strong column of his throat before raising her eyes to meet his.

"You miss this don't you," It was more of a statement than a question.

He smiled at her, and she got the distinct impression he seemed to be enjoying a private joke of some sort. "Yes, very much,"

They travelled in silence for a few more minutes before Bella spoke again. "Your family seems really nice."

He smirked, "I told you, and you were worried,"

She grinned, "Yeah, yeah. You were also right about Emmett - overzealous,"

They both said the word _'overzealous'_ at the same time and then busted out in laughter. When the laughter had subsided to a few giggles, Bella wiped her streaming eyes, and gave him one of her famous smiles – the type that knocked his socks off.

"Thank you," she said, her voice barely a whisper.

He looked puzzled, "For what?"

She reached out and slid her small hand into his larger one. His cold fingers intertwined with hers, and Bella felt an unfamiliar feeling of contentment drift over her. This was the first time she had ever physically reached out to him and it felt so incredibly right. She could have sworn that one of her missing jigsaw pieces had just locked into place.

"For being my friend and for being you,"

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~***

The group of four standing at the opposite end of the deck, watched the interaction between the two people, with mixed emotions.

Carlisle glanced at his wife and saw his own concern and anxiety mirrored in her face. "Carlisle," she whispered, her voice trembling. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and rubbed her arm in a comforting motion.

"I know Love, I know. Everything will be okay," he assured her, "Edward's a big boy, he can handle himself."

"I'm not so sure about that," Emmett said as he watched Bella take Edward's hand, "Not sure at all. This can get extremely messy."

"No," Rosalie's quiet voice stated. The Cullens turned to her but she was staring at the couple with a sad, secret smile, "It already has."

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~***

As the ferry made its final approach towards Eagle Harbour, the man put up the hood of his green coat, and crushed the cigarette with the toe of his sneaker. His grey eyes drifted over the various passengers who floated in and out of his field of vision. Some of them hurried to go below deck to their vehicles, while others waited for the first surge of people to subside. These people however, were insignificant, creatures to be utilised and then discarded like yesterday's garbage.

His real interest lay in the two people who were standing on the far end of the deck holding hands and talking in quiet voices - Edward Cullen and Bella Swan.

His gaze drifted to their clasped hands and for a split second, a sliver of an emotion so foreign shot through his rigid body. So slight was it, that when he tried to make sense of it, it slipped away. He didn't recoginse it, but he did recognize what it left behind in its wake – anger.

He shoved his hand into his pocket and yanked out a box of cigarettes. He turned it on its opened end and tapped it impatiently. Nothing came out. He growled, crushed the box and dropped it at his feet. He felt slightly out of control, and drew in a couple deep breaths to control his urge to smash something.

Since his return from Vancouver, he had noticed an increasingly disturbing trend. The littlest things seem to set him off. In his line of work and all he stood to lose, irrational emotions were an unacceptable risk. He thought maybe one of the reasons for his change in temperament was being pulled away from his assignment, and not getting the opportunity to finish what he had started. Failure was not something he took lightly.

Then again, he knew eventually he would get his chance. Right now Bella Swan was safe. As long as her memories remained locked away, she was safe and by extension, so was Edward Cullen. But only for now.

He smiled ruefully, and continued to watch the couple. The rest of Edward's family had gone downstairs to the lower deck a few minutes before. This left the deck mercifully free from an abundance of passengers. A few people, who were probably walk-ons, strolled here and there.

Edward said something to Bella, and they began to follow the path his family had taken earlier. He bent over as if tying his shoe laces, and when they had moved pass, he straightened. It would do him no good to send up any red flags at this time. He continued to watch them until they had disappeared down the steps.

Edward thought that by bringing Bella to Washington he was actually protecting her. Little did he know, it made _his_ job all the more easy.

He turned to watch as the ferry prepared to dock. He leaned on the rails and felt the engines reverse thrust beneath his feet. He was in no hurry; he knew exactly where they were going. He would give Bella the opportunity to get settled, and then he would pay more attention. Right now she felt comfortable - safe.

It would be different this time. No chase, no guns and definitely no mistakes. This time he would slowly chip away at the foundations of everything she held dear. He rubbed his hands together in glee and anticipation.

Next time they met, he would take his time. He would make sure they spent a considerable amount of time together in uninterrupted solitude. He knew she would try to appeal to his human side – a side which no longer existed, and he would let her think she was succeeding. Yes, right before he plunged his knife through her chest and into her heart. And he would watch as the light was slowly extinguished from her beautiful brown eyes.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~***

**A/N: We have another messed up week coming next week (more holidays), but I will try to get my updates in quicker. With too many holidays, my works piles up, and flattens me. SO, because I am trying so hard, do you think I can get 10 – 15 reviews before I update? Motivation meter people, motivation meter.**

**Chapter 11 spoiler – the introduction of 2 new characters. **


	12. Bring Me To Life

**A/N: Okay, so I know I have not kept my promise and updated as quickly as I said, but I have just been so incredibly busy. With the 2 holidays in the week, I have been working double time to keep up, as well as writing this chapter. So what I have done to make up for my tardiness, I have given you an extra long chapter. I have also given you more of what you have been asking for – flashbacks. **

**Now if you paid attention to my last A/N, I said I would introduce 2 new characters, but while writing this chapter, it kinda got out of hand and a few things happened that were completely unexpected. I like to follow where my story takes me and it took me in this direction. However, I promise no more detours and next chapter, I will reveal these two new characters, as well as my choice of vehicle for Edward.**

**As always, I want to thank my readers and reviewers and those who added the story to their favourites and alerts. You all have a special place in my heart.**

**Special mention goes out to **5t4c3y**, **GerrysLittleMissSunshine08**, **dreampills**, **BellaDuJour. **Thanks chaps you have made my week.**

**Again I find it necessary to tie the chapter title and the song together, so this chapter's song is **_'Bring Me To Life'_** by **_Evanescence_**. I so love this song. **

**Oh yeah, I keep forgetting to mention this, but I usually try to put some pics on my profile for each chapter so please go there to check. **

**So according to the great Captain Jean-Luc Picard, **_**"Engage"………………………….**_

**  
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**Chapter 11 – Bring Me To Life**

Bella rolled over in the bed, pulled the sheet up and over her head, and groaned loudly. The gentle pit pat sound of the rain hitting against the roof was driving her crazy. Since she had not slept, it was all she had heard for the past few hours.

As she had predicted, the rain had started to drizzle shortly after they had disembarked from the ferry, and had progressed to a steady downpour on the way to Edward's house. It remained that way until about four hours ago, when it had decreased to its present state.

Realising that her battle to finally get some sleep was completely lost, she sat up and ran her fingers through her hair. Her fingers snagged on the elastic band which held her hair in a ponytail. She yanked it out and winced when a few of her hairs came with it. She massaged the sore areas and then swung her legs over the edge of the bed. She put her good foot down first, stood up and then placed the weaker one on the ground. Immediately, a cramp shot up her calf and she grunted in pain. She leaned over and massaged her calf, trying to coax the muscles to relax. Why the pain continued to take her by surprise, she would never know. It was a regular occurrence – kind of like going to the bathroom or brushing your teeth. The pain seemed more acute in the mornings, and she had to remember to speak to Carlisle about it today during their appointment.

Bella wasn't sure how she felt about Carlisle taking over her medical care. He seemed really nice, and she felt comfortable around him, but she hated to feel indebted to anyone. She had tried to bring up the topic of payment with him yesterday, but the look on his face had stilled her tongue. He had looked so disappointed and hurt that she had quickly moved onto another subject. As usual, Edward was right – he definitely was not going to accept payment.

What he had done however, was to schedule their first appointment, as well as one with her new Physiotherapist, for later today. Edward had volunteered to go with her, and she was looking forward to getting out of the house. Not that there was anything wrong with the house, quite the opposite really. Edward's home was beautiful and she fully intended to take a look around as soon as she could.

Yesterday afternoon had been spent unpacking, putting things away, and performing all the other boring tasks associated with moving. The Cullens had been eager to assist with these tasks, and by the time everything was finished, it was after 9:00pm. She had eaten a meal prepared by Esme, and after they had departed, she had said good-night to Edward, taken a shower and tried to get some sleep.

The cramp eased, and she took the opportunity to limp over to the large bay window. The sight which greeted her was spectacular. Through the window, she had an unobstructed view of the large expanse of the lake. The surface was almost smooth, except for the few fat raindrops which fell, disturbing its glass like appearance. In the distance, above the forest of green trees, she could see the first light of the dawn approaching. The urge to go outside became unbearable and turning, she headed for the bathroom to complete her usual morning routine.

Deciding to check in on Edward to see if he was awake and wanted to go with her, she headed down the hallway and knocked softly on the door at the end. There was silence and she knocked again. After waiting a few seconds more and receiving no response, she turned the knob and peaked inside. What she saw made her stop dead in her tracks.

Edward was lying in the middle of his king-sized bed with his arm thrown across his eyes. The sheet had slid down his body and was entangled around his hips. Seemed like Emmett was not the only one who worked out in the gym on a regular basis. His chest was a perfectly sculpted work of art, and his smooth and well defined abs just begged to be touched. Bella gulped and felt the palms of her hands begin to itch. She wiped them on the legs of her pants and the discomfort decreased, but did not completely abate.

She was still watching him when he moaned. She froze and prayed he was still asleep, and would not catch her ogling him like some kind of sick, perverted voyeur. Luck was on her side because he flipped over on his stomach, pulled the pillow over his head, and was again still.

Breathing a sigh of relief, she quietly pulled the door close, and got as far away from the room as she could. As she made her way down the curved staircase, she was still having flashbacks of Edward's partially nude body when she stumbled. She grabbed the smooth banister of the stairs to stop herself from falling flat on her face.

"Would serve you right," she grumbled to herself.

Still chastising herself, she walked into the living room and looked around. It was beautifully decorated. The gleaming hardwood floors extended out of the room, and the three bay windows gave the illusion that the already large room was much roomier. She loved being able to see directly outside. The large windows brought the light in, and this transformed the room into an area where one would want to just sit and stare out at the lake, and the surrounding trees.

A set of off white furniture consisting of an L shaped couch, a single seater and a recliner, gave the room a homey and comfortable feeling. A vast array of burgundy, bronze and hunter green throw cushions were thrown strategically on the chairs. She peered into the glass front fireplace and realised that she could see directly into the next room. Something caught her eye, and she moved through the high doorway and into the den.

Sitting in the middle of the room was a sleek, ebony Steinway piano. Immediately feeling drawn to the instrument, she went over and hesitantly touched its smooth, glossy surface. The beautiful ivory and black keys felt cool against her fingers, and she found it impossible to stop herself from caressing them. She was lost in the sensation when suddenly the scene around her changed.

No longer standing beside the piano, she was now sitting on the bench with Edward at her side. She looked around feeling slightly disoriented, and noticed a few things which had been present seconds ago, were either missing, or had switched position. One of those changed things was her clothing. She was now wearing a white flowing dress which reached her ankles. The light coming through the windows was also different; it clearly wasn't early morning anymore, but closer to night.

"_What the heck is going on?"_ she wondered silently as the first fingers of panic began to prod at her.

The sound of the piano being played commanded her full attention. It was being played with such passion and skill, that her mouth fell open. Edward's elegant fingers seem to float over the keys, coaxing the beautiful sounds from the instrument. She couldn't place the melody he played, but whatever it was caused goose bumps to rise on her arms. It was magnificent.

"So what do you think?" he asked, seeming unsure of himself. He was watching her from beneath his lashes, and he seemed almost….shy.

Her lips moved of their own provocation, "It's beautiful, what is it?"

He shook his head and smiled at her. "It doesn't have a name yet…..I wrote it for you,"

A flurry of emotions exploded inside Bella and she felt her chest constrict almost painfully. Her eyes grew damp, and speech became completely impossible. It was hers, all hers – just like he belonged to her. She reached out and drew a finger down his cheek, and across his jaw. His fingers stilled on the keys, and his eyes seemed to smolder for a second before he caught her hand and brought it to his lips.

Awareness shot up her arm and into her brain. The spot where his lips rested tingled, then grew hot and a moan made its way past her lips. He smiled against her fingers, and drew her index finger into his mouth. She hissed when his tongue flicked across the tip, and almost jumped a mile when he brought his teeth down gently, effectively trapping her finger inside the warm cavern of his mouth.

"Edward," she groaned.

"Hmmm?" he said and continued his torture on yet another finger.

"What are you doing?" Desire made it hard for her to speak and with much effort, she managed to extract her fingers from his mouth.

He gave her a naughty wink and wrapping his hand around the back of her neck, drew her to him. She watched his lips draw closer, and knew they were about to meet hers when he said, "Absolutely nothing,"

She felt herself falling, and instinctively put out her hands to break her fall. She landed on the ground beside the piano bench with a muted thud. It was morning again and she was alone. She frantically looked around at her surroundings, a part of her trying to grasp what had just happened, and another part trying desperately to hold onto the illusion. There was no evidence that what she had just experienced was real.

"What the _hell_ was that?" she wondered aloud and raised her tingling hand to her face. She could still feel Edward's mouth on her skin. Her breathing was harsh and the thought that she was finally losing it, passed briefly through her mind. Was it a memory or a hallucination brought on by stress and the fact that she had seen Edward almost naked?

Her first instinct was to go upstairs and confirm that Edward was still asleep. The second was to get out of the house as quickly as possible. She chose the latter, and picking herself up from the floor, retraced her steps. She went through the spacious kitchen, disengaged the lock on the door, and stepped out into the cool, still air of the morning.

The rain had stopped, but droplets of moisture were visible on the grass, leaves and everywhere Bella's eyes touched. The lightening sky was a surreal shade of grey blue, and rubbing her arms to ward off the chill, she stepping into the grass and slowly made her way down to the water's edge.

A bird called out and a few seconds after that, its mate returned an answering cry. The sound made her jump and she threw the cane down in frustration. She was really tired at being jumpy at every little thing. Paranoia was beginning to invade every facet of her life and she hated it. She placed her hands over her mouth and screamed as loudly as she could. Her hands drowned out the sound, but she still took a quick look at the house behind her to confirm that all was as it should be. She definitely did not want Edward to be a witness to her sudden break with reality. Feeling only marginally better, she grabbed the cane from its bed among the lush grass, and hugged it to her chest.

Deciding that maybe being so close to the water wasn't such a good idea given her current frame of mind, and her inability to keep her balance, she turned back towards the house. A ray of sunlight broke through a cloud, glinted off one of the many windows and illuminated the house. It seemed less scary now that she was outside, and she made her way back up the wide expanse of lawn. When she reached the back door, she hesitated before turning the doorknob.

This was not a good way to begin her stay here. She had only been out of bed for an hour and already her day sucked. She was tired, scared, crotchety and now cold. She blamed her lack of sleep for the hallucination she had had – there was absolutely no other explanation. Because if that was a memory, then she and Edward were way more than friends, and he was not being entirely honest with her.

She shook her head stubbornly. It had to be a hallucination; memories did not manifest themselves like some type of sci-fi movie. When she had had the flash of Charlie back in Vancouver, it had been just that, a flash. Not a full blown freaking 3-D event with her starring as an unwilling participant.

Damn it, she could still hear that melody going around inside her head. To make matters worst, she could still feel Edward on her, feel the intense emotions which had surfaced when he had said the song was written for her.

What if she was losing her mind? What then? What if this sort of episode happened every time she had a memory? Eventually she might lose the ability to function as a normal person. Would she be doomed to a fate of being locked in an endless stream of memory movies?

"Calm down Bella," she scolded herself. She drew in a few deep breaths and laughed quietly. What was she doing? Trying to drive herself crazy? She was a rational, intelligent human being – a human being without a memory, but hey, you couldn't have everything in life right? She would try to forget the whole thing, and chalk it up as a glitch in her over-active imagination. She would decide if she needed to discuss it with Carlisle if the need arose.

Feeling a hundred times better, she pulled open the refrigerator door and looked inside. The fridge was well stocked, and she mulled over her choices. The urge to cook something hit her from out of nowhere. She grabbed a carton of eggs, some milk and a loaf of bread, and placed then on the counter. She then retrieved the bacon and let it join its mates.

It was only after she had assembled all the ingredients and utensils that she began to wonder if she could cook. What a time to wonder that. What if she burnt the house down? What if……..?

"Oh, enough with the _'what ifs'_," she growled and cracked her first egg into the bowl.

Edward ran his fingers through his hair, yawned and made his way downstairs. It was a little after 9:00am and he had slept longer than he had had intended. He had planned on getting an early start, making breakfast for himself and Bella, but now he would have to make something quick before she came downstairs. Realising the time, he had scrambled out of bed, entangling his foot in the sheet, and was half way to the door before he realised that he was naked. He must have been more tired that he had thought. He had given up the freedom of sleeping in the nude a long time ago on the off chance that he had an emergency, or that his mother decided to visit. She had developed the annoying habit of coming over unannounced.

He remembered one particularly embarrassing episode. He had worked on a case none stop, and managing to drag himself home after two days, had stripped off his clothes and headed for the shower. Little did he know that his mother had decided to stop by and collect his laundry. He had stepped out of the bathroom and had almost died of fright on the spot. She was gathering his clothes and unfortunately for him, he had left his towel on the bed. To say he had been horrified would have been an understatement, but she had had the nerve to be amused.

She had laughed at him, literally laughed, and what she had said next would have hurt the heart of any man. She smiled and calmly said, "It's not like I haven't seen it before, it's no big deal."

As he had watched her retreating back, he had repeated the words in his head. He wasn't sure if to be insulted or not. Leave it to his mother to emasculate him with just four words. To add insult to injury, she had told his father and brother about the incident, and for about 3 months after that, every time Emmett saw him, he pointed and laughed. He was still trying to find a legal loophole to disown his brother.

He was still chuckling to himself when he rounded the corner and stepped into the kitchen. He froze. Bella's head was shoved inside the cupboard and the only part visible was her backside – and what a backside it was.

Edward felt his body react in a way in which it hadn't in a long time. His mouth went dry, and he could swear he heard the rapid knocking of his heart against his ribs. He groaned silently and rubbed the back of his neck, all the while begging his body to behave. _This was not good, this was so not good, _he gripped. _Think clean thoughts,_ he commanded himself, _think clean, pure thoughts_.

It took a few seconds, but he began to feel more in control, and curiosity as to the reason for Bella's unorthodox position got the better of him.

"What are you doing?" he asked, turning his head on a side.

Bella yelped and cracked her head on the top of the cupboard. She straightened, rubbed the bruised area and glared at him.

"Don't do that," she yelled.

Edward ignored her and moving quickly to her side, threaded his fingers through her hair and rubbed the slight lump. "Sorry, are you okay?"

"Other than the concussion, I'm fine," she grumbled, and threw him another dark look when he laughed softly.

It was the wrong thing to for her to do. He was standing too close and he smelled wonderful. His eyes sparkled and that darn crooked smile of his almost brought her to her knees. The _'dream'_ she had had earlier came rushing back, and she felt her face grow warm, and then hot. Holy crap, she could almost feel him again. She racked her brain for something to say, but her tongue seemed to be glued to the roof of her mouth.

Edward stared into Bella's startled eyes and felt awestruck. He had forgotten how incredibly beautiful her eyes were. He was close enough to pick out the tiny flecks of gold which would always darken when she was angry, excited or aroused. They were dark now, and he wondered what the reason was. For a brief couple of seconds, he wondered if he leaned forward and kissed her if she would taste the same. Would she respond to him with the same undiluted passion she had in the past, or would she impair his ability to reproduce by kneeing him in the groin?

Deciding it was better to be safe than sorry, he removed his hand from the heavy, silky mass of her hair, and took a step back. His sudden movement seemed to break the spell surrounding them, and Bella propped against the counter.

"Are you okay? You look a little flushed," he said taking in her red face, "Maybe you hit your head harder than you thought. I could always call dad,"

Bella gave him a strange look, and shifted further away from him. Thank goodness he was so dense and did not realise that his nearness was the reason for her flushed appearance. She suspected that if Carlisle came over now, he would take one look at her and prescribe a cold shower.

"I'm fine," she stated and with that, turned her back on him.

She stood like that for a few seconds, all the while willing her face to return to its normal pale shade, but cooperation was not high on its list of priorities. Feeling the need to relieve the tension in the air, she fixed a fake smile on her face and turned back to look at him. He was watching her with a blank look.

"I made breakfast," she announced and gestured to the island in the center of the kitchen.

Edward blinked in surprise. This was the last thing he expected her to say. His eyes fell on the food she had prepared and he howled with laughter. Her stunned expression made him laugh all the more.

"What's so funny?" she asked indignantly, her hands on her hips.

"You made breakfast, but for how many people?" he asked, and going over to the massive spread, took a piece of bacon and popped it into his mouth.

Bella had really out-done herself. There was scrambled eggs, bacon, French toast, pancakes, fruit salad and what appeared to be chocolate chip cookies. The smell was mouthwatering, and he had to control the urge to make a pig out of himself. He felt his stomach rumble in protest.

Bella looked dejected."Maybe I did cook a bit much,"

Bella looked so down cast that guilt flooded every part of Edward's body. She was just trying to help and now she felt completely useless thanks to him and his big mouth – way to go Cullen.

"Don't worry about it, I have a plan," he said, and held up his hand when she opened her mouth to question him. He grabbed the black cordless phone from its cradle beside the refrigerator, and dialing a series of numbers, put it to his ear.

"Em, what are you doing right now?" he asked, a wide grin plastered across his face. "Great, Bella cooked breakfast and…hello? Em? Are you there?" he shrugged and disconnected the call.

"What happened?" Bella asked as she went to get the plates she had washed earlier from the dish drainer.

"Call got disconnected – actually, I think he put the phone down on me, but don't worry, I give him 10 minutes," he snorted and pointed to the plate in her hand, "You might want to put another one out – a big one,"

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Edward poured three glasses of orange juice and set them on the table. He then pulled out the chair with his foot, and sat down to watch Bella as she moved around the kitchen fetching whatever she needed.

"You need any help?" He asked as she juggled the plate with the French Toast and the one with his food.

"Nope, I'm good," she responded and placed his plate in front of him.

To say that he was a bit surprised at the level of Bella's comfort in his kitchen would have been an understatement. He was flabbergasted. If he was not aware of the fact that Bella had lost her memory, he would have thought that she did it everyday. It was good to see her in his kitchen – actually, at one point in time, it used to be _their_ kitchen.

"Should I put out Emmett's breakfast?"

Edward shook his head, " Don't bother, just leave the plate there and watch the fur fly,"

The loud roar of an engine coming up the driveway halted the conversation, and alerted them as to Emmett's arrival. It was followed by the quick slam of a door and a few seconds after that, the front door flew open. Emmett skidded to a halt in the doorway of the kitchen. His eyes immediately centered on the food and he grinned happily. Gathering Bella up into another one of his signature hugs, he kissed her soundly on the cheek.

"Thank you, thank you," he chanted and grabbing the plate, went to work.

By the time Emmett had loaded his plate to the point where nothing else could fit, Edward was on to his second pancake. He closed his eyes and savoured the flavor. Bella's pancakes were phenomenal and he wasn't sure what she put in them, but they never tasted the same. He knew she loved to experiment so she probably changed the recipe each time she used it. He missed her cooking – just like he missed her.

"I have so missed this," Emmett moaned around a mouthful of scrambled egg. He quickly shoved a piece of bacon into his still full mouth.

Bella nibbled on a piece of banana, but quickly shoved it into her mouth when she caught Edward watching her. He frowned at the amount of food she had taken for herself. She was certain that he kept track of every bite of food she put into her mouth, and had the uncomfortable feeling that a lecture was imminent.

It took a few seconds for Emmett's words to sink in, but when they did, a light went off inside her head. This was something Emmett was used to. That in addition to the _'dream'_ she had had earlier, seemed to confirm that she had spent a considerable amount of time in Edward's home. A plan to discretely gather more information to confirm her suspicions began to form.

"I used to do this often?" she asked and smiled sweetly at Emmett. She watched Edward out of the corner of her eye and saw a strange, tense look cross his face. She faltered, wondering if this plan of hers was such a good idea.

"Oh sure," Emmett confirmed, shoving an entire folded pancake into his now empty mouth. "Every weekend we would come over and you would make us breakfast."

Edward choked down his mouthful, and slowly put his fork down beside his plate. He had the sudden bad feeling that Bella's questions were leading somewhere and Emmett seemed a willing passenger on the free ride to hell.

"So, I came over and made it?" she asked innocently – a bit too innocently.

Emmett shook his head, and was about to answer when Edward's foot shot out and collided with his knee. The impact as well as the pain stopped him cold, and he coughed. He frowned at Edward who was trying to roll his eyes discretely, and rubbed his injured knee. The feeling that he was about to put his foot in his mouth came to him, and he looked at Bella who was watching him like a hawk sizing up its next meal.

_Why that little Devil, she was trying to pump him for information_. He would have laughed had he not seen the expression on his brother's face. He looked as if he was about to go into a full blown panic attack. Oh Boy, Edward was in for a rough time. Bella was not as clueless as he had thought. While he did not agree with Edward's method of dealing with the past, he respected his decision and decided to bail him out of the potentially sticky situation – in other words, he would lie through his ass.

"Yup, you came over a lot – sometimes I wondered if you lived here," he said looking directly at his brother who visibly relaxed.

Bella looked confused at first, but then a determined look flashed across her eyes. He realised that she did not believe a word he had said, but to his surprise, she let the subject drop.

"Okay, that's what I thought," she said and Emmett told himself that he was going to have to watch Bella closely. She was not going to let this go so easily.

Edward watched the verbal play between Bella and his brother, and said good-bye to his appetite. His stomach felt oddly hollow. If he had any doubts that Bella was up to something, then her last statement squashed that. She suspected something, but what and what had triggered it off was a mystery to him. He was still trying to think about the reasons for her sudden interest in the past, when she pushed back her chair and stood up. Emmett was now giving his undivided attention to the plate opposite him, and Edward knew he was keeping himself out of the line of fire.

Bella stared down at the top of Emmett's curly head, and sighed. She would try again, but when Edward wasn't there. He made her way too nervous. She took her plate from the table and was about to take it to the sink, when Edward's hand on hers stayed her departure.

"Leave it, I'll wash up," he said and she would have protested but he cut her off. "You did make breakfast; do you want me to feel entirely useless?" His voice held a teasing note but Bella also caught something else.

"Okay, thanks. I need to get upstairs and prepare for our trip. What time does the ferry leave?" she asked avoiding his eyes.

Edward though this was strange, but it confirmed his suspicions that something was up. "Around 11:30, we'll have to leave around 11:10 or so if we want to make it on time."

"Great, I'll be ready," she said and turning to Emmett, smiled apologetically, "Thanks for coming over." And with that, she left the room.

Edward waited until he was sure she was out of earshot before he addressed Emmett. By this time, Emmett's plate was almost empty and Edward shook his head. He never understood how Emmett could eat so much and there wasn't an ounce of fat on him - lucky dog.

"Thanks Bro," he said, his voice low. He expected an immediate lecture, but what he got instead surprised him. Emmett threw back his head and laughed loudly.

"I feel so sorry for you, " he chortled, "You are in for one hell of a time. She is not going to let this go,"

Edward pursed his lips thoughtfully, "Who knows? Maybe she will,"

Emmett's smile disappeared and was replaced by a frown and a look of impatience. He threw his fork down on the table, and pointed his finger at Edward.

"Are you insane? You know Bella, once she has her teeth into something so doesn't let go. This is going to end badly Edward, tell her the truth and get it over with,"

Edward stood so abruptly that his chair rocked back on its hind legs, and would have crashed to the floor had he not caught it. He grabbed his and Bella's now empty plates, and marched them over to the sink.

"I can't do that," he said furiously, "Not yet."

Emmett looked confused, "Why the hell not? What's the worst that could happen if you told her the truth?"

Edward leaned against the counter, crossed his arms across his chest and glared at his brother. "Just let it go."

Emmett stood and glared right back at him, "Not a chance, tell me what would happen if you told her. Tell me so I can understand why you are doing this,"

Edward threw his hands in the air in defeat. It made absolutely no sense trying to ignore Emmett, he would just become more persistent.

"Fine, she'd leave,"

Emmett raised an eyebrow, "Oh, so this is all about you?" he shook his head, "You are incredible!"

"No, it's not about me, it's about her. It's about protecting her from the psycho out there who tried to kill her,"

Emmett shrugged, "There seems to be a psycho in here too. Which do you think is the lesser of the two evils?"

"That's not fair," Edward protested, hurt colouring his voice.

"I'll tell you what's not fair, the fact that you asked your entire family and her friend to lie to her. That's what's not fair."

"I'm doing this to protect her," Edward objected. He couldn't understand what was so difficult to comprehend about that.

Emmett looked him directly in the eye, "Bull shit! You're doing this to protect yourself. You're afraid that if she remembers what happened and how you failed her, she'd hate you all over again."

Edward stared at his brother in horror. Emmett's unfair accusations hit him with the force of a physical blow. Was this how everyone saw it? Did they blame him for everything? Did they think him a selfish, lying bastard?

"That's not true," he whispered

Emmett shrugged and turning the chair around, sat in it backwards. He draped his arms over its back and continued to stare at this brother. He knew this was going to be a difficult discussion, but Edward needed to stop being a coward. He had watched him second guess himself for the past few years, and it scared him.

"Okay, prove me wrong then," he challenged and pointed towards the direction where Bella had vanished a few minutes ago. "Go upstairs right now and tell her you used to be her husband, tell her about the accident and most of all, tell her about H……………." but Edward cut him off before he could finish his sentence.

"No," he yelled, "I won't do that to her – not now. Don't you see? She's vulnerable, she can't handle it."

Emmett gave him a smug _'I told you so' _look, and Edward felt like he wanted to punch him in the face. Only problem with that is he stood to have his ass kicked.

"I think what you really meant to say was that _you _can't handle it,"

Edward turned away and clenched his fists. From the time they were young Emmett always knew which buttons to press when it came to him and this time was no different. The slight difference this time was that it hurt, and unfortunately Emmett was partially right - he couldn't deal with this right now. He had spent the past few years trying to put it behind him, and he thought he had been successful, but now he wasn't so sure anymore. Bella being hurt, them spending so much time together, the entire living together again thing, only reminded him of everything – both the good and bad.

He closed his eyes and sighed. He was mentally and physically exhausted. He did not have the energy to get into it with Emmett – not now.

"You don't understand," was all he could offer in his defense.

"Oh, but I do understand," Emmett said, his voice confident. He knew what he was about to say was not something Edward would want to hear, furthermore admit to. "You're in love with her,"

Edward turned to him and shook his head, "She's my friend now….."

Emmett smiled sadly, "Yes, and you're still in love with her. Everyone can see it Edward, the only people who can't, are you and her,"

Edward opened his mouth to protest, but the look on Emmett's face pulled him up short. _Shit, Em was right_. He was as much in love with Bella now as the day she had given her ring back to him, and walked out – maybe even more. He went over to the table, sat down and dropped his head to the table top. He sat like that for a few minutes, digesting this newly discovered information. He raised his head and ran his fingers through his hair.

"I am so incredibly _fucked_," he whispered, his head in his hands.

Emmett grinned, "Yup, but you'll get over it,"

Edward snorted, "So glad that I could provide you with a form of entertainment, what the hell am I going to do?"

Emmett was thoughtful, "Well first you need to be honest with her; this can't go on for much longer. She's one of us Edward, and it's really uncomfortable for everyone to watch what they say all the time. Eventually, one of us is going to mess up and what then?" he reasoned, watching the play of emotions across his brother's face, "Which would you prefer? To tell her or let someone who used to know her do the job for you? If that happens, Hiroshima is going to look like a Sunday afternoon picnic."

"Ugh, this is too much," Edward groaned.

Emmett realised what one of Edward's major problems was, and against his better judgment, he brought it up, "Look, what happened before was not your fault. I know you've been blaming yourself but no one else blames you,"

"She does," he choked out, and felt his heart squeeze painfully, "She hates me,"

Emmett shook his head, "She might have been angry and hurt, but she doesn't hate you. I don't think she ever did."

Emmett's words struck a chord, and when Edward stared at him, he looked away guiltily. Emmett knew something, but what?

"What do you know that you're not telling me?" he demanded.

Emmett was quiet for a few seconds, and then he sighed as if making up his mind about something. "Nothing, at least nothing that I can tell you – yet."

Edward gave him an exasperated look. "What the hell does that mean?"

He shrugged, still avoiding his brother's penetrating glare. "It means that the information I know is not mine to tell,"

"Whose is it?" Edward's voice was dangerously low, and a smart person would have coughed up all they knew, but this was Emmett so smart reasoning did not apply.

Emmett looked uncomfortable, but Edward saw his eyes shift briefly to the stairs. That was all it took to confirm his suspicions. Bella had told Emmett something - something that unless he got his brother to confess, would remain a mystery to him until Bella regained her memory.

"Bella," he said and shook his head in amazement, "You've known something all this time and didn't tell me?"

Emmett stood up and paced back and forth across the Terra Cotta coloured tiles. He stopped and turned to Edward with his hands held out. "She asked me not to tell you. What was I supposed to do?"

"I'm your brother," he snarled.

Emmett gave an unpleasant, bitter laugh. "Don't I know it, but she's my sister as well. You tell me how easy it would've been for _you_ to make that choice."

Edward stared him in the eye, "It would have been easy, I know where _my_ loyalties lie."

Emmett looked instantly livid. "Oh really? _Loyalties_," he spat out the word, "Let's look at that for a God damn minute shall we. Where were your _loyalties_ when you took a mental vacation, and left me to deal with the fall out from your irresponsible behavior? Where were your _loyalties_ when you abandoned Mom and Dad, and most of all, where were your self righteous _loyalties_ when I needed my brother - when Rose lost our baby?" Emmett's final sentence came out as a strangled cry.

Edward looked as if he had been slapped in the face. He felt shame spiral through him and what made him feel even worst was the tears he saw in Emmett's eyes. This was the first time he had ever seen his brother lose it. Emmett was the jovial, fun loving guy who everyone flocked to be around. He acted as if he was untouchable.

"Rose was pregnant?" he asked, shock infusing his every word. "When?

"About two years ago," he whispered, trying to get his voice and emotions under control.

"Why didn't you tell me anything?" Edward pleaded.

Emmett stared at him in disbelief. "How could I? You were barely surviving – I couldn't put that on you. I didn't want to do anything to push you over the edge, so Rose and I decided not to tell you anything."

Edward rubbed his hands across his face and frowned. Man he had to be one of the most selfish people on the planet. He had been so caught up in his own issues and misery, that he had neglected his own flesh and blood - especially in a time when he needed him. He felt like a bastard.

Emmett seemed to know what was going through his mind because he came over and put his hand on his shoulder. That gesture spoke volumes – it signified that everything was okay between them. Edward looked up at his brother who was wearing a pensive expression.

"It's in the past, Rose and I have dealt with it and moved on. The important thing right now is for _you _to deal with yours. Take some time to think about what you want to say, but do it soon. I've got the feeling your time is running out."

Edward nodded. He knew there was no escaping this. He was going to have to tell her eventually, but the problem was, _when_? Nothing he was going to say was going to be easy. He didn't want his explanations to be fraught with his excuses about why what had happened, had happened. He didn't want his views and opinions to colour anything. He wanted her to know the entire, unvarnished truth.

The closeness they shared now was reminiscent of days gone by – maybe they were even closer, if that was possible. Maybe when he finally got the courage to talk to her, this stronger bond they shared would help to repair the damage, and maybe, just maybe she could learn to love him again.

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**A/N: So people, give me your reviews on this chapter. Did you like it? What did you think about Emmett? I know a lot of people out there love him but not a lot is known about him so I do have the license to do whatever I like LOL. BTW, I have put up a new disclaimer for this story in Chapter 1 so you can go have a read.**

**Can I please, please get 20 or more reviews so that I would feel motivated to upload quicker? I am currently working on Chapter 12 and trust me, you will like this one.**


	13. Between A Rock Part 1

**A/N: My deepest apologies guys, but I have been EXTREMELY busy and will be for the rest of the month. However, I have been writing every free moment I get – all the moments when I am not working, trying to remember to eat, sleep, going to class – you get the general idea. **

**To all my reviewers, I am so sorry I have not responded to your reviews, but I just can't seem to find the time to sit in front the computer and have any leisure time. For the record I just want to say a super big "THANK YOU". I actually write my story by hand and then have to convert it to electronic format (yes, things have gotten that bad). You can see how time consuming that is. However, I should be good again from June so please try to be patient with me.**

**Now once again, I am about to break a promise but that's because the story once again took on a life of its own. I will introduce 1 new character in Part 1 of this chapter and any others in Part 2. Oh yeah, again because of the length, I have split this into 2 chapters. It's like the chapter from Hell – it just won't shut up. LOL. **

**For all those who PMed me and asked about Alice, patience people. If you read chapter 8 carefully, Alice told Bella that she will come to Washington, but you have to understand that she has a lot to do before she can just pick up and leave BC. There's her business and also tying up the loose ends that Bella left behind (i.e Bella's house).**

**Anyhoo, I will warn you - the chapters will become more involved now and a lot will begin to happen so please try to keep up (smile). You'll get more insight into Bella's and Edward's past – before and after they met each other, and what led to the break up. And before you ask, you'll get more on Rosalie and Emmett's relationship as well.**

**Sorry, but no song as yet for this chapter. I'm having a bit of a problem finding one but when I do, I'll update the playlist. I thought it was more important to get the chapter up than to spend hours searching for the song. Here's what you can do for me – make suggestions and if they are appropriate, I'll choose one and include a special 'Thank You' to that person.**

**Oh! The pic of Edward's vehicle is on my profile so you can go there and follow the link. Thanks.**

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**Chapter 12 – Between a Rock – Part 1**

Edward pulled the grey Audi Q5 into a parking spot Bella would have considered to be way too small for the vehicle, and cut the engine. She pulled her gaze from the scenery outside the tinted windows, and glanced down at her watch. She was surprised that they had made it with 10 minutes to spare. Their morning had been fraught with delays. First the ferry had been late arriving, and when they had finally made it to Seattle, the traffic had been horrendous. Edward had called ahead to inform Carlisle of the situation, but now it seemed that had been unnecessary. They had still arrived ahead of time thanks to Edward's driving skills. Driving skills by the way, which left Bella awestruck, and a little scared. To be precise, he drove like a maniac, but a careful maniac – if that even made any sense. If she had to describe it in just five words, she would say _'Edward liked to drive fast'_.

His concentration from the moment they had left the house, until their current location had been steady and unwavering. Maybe that was the reason he had hardly spoken since they had left home. While he had answered any questions she put to him, he seemed preoccupied and distant. She wondered if something had happened between him and Emmett after she had left the kitchen. By the time she had returned downstairs, Emmett had left, the kitchen was tidy and Edward had disappeared into his room. It briefly crossed her mind that maybe the reason why Edward was acting this way was because he had caught onto her plan this morning, and was upset with her. Technically it was her right to ask questions about her past since he was not exactly the fountain of information. However, the way in which she had gone about it was devious, and for that she felt guilty. She had tried to trick Emmett and that was unacceptable.

"Are you ready?" Edward asked, grabbing his coat from the back seat. He disengaged the central locking and opened the door.

Bella nodded, opened her door and with a bit of difficulty, slid out. She stumbled slightly, but suddenly Edward's hands were there keeping her upright. As soon as she had steadied herself, he quickly removed his hands from her arms. She sighed in frustration. If he was upset with her, why did he not just say something and get it over with? All this silence was getting on her last nerve.

She clutched the brown paper bag in one hand, and swung the black haversack onto her shoulder. Almost as an after thought, she had stuffed a t-shirt and a track pants into the bag on the chance that the Physiotherapist wanted to work with her today. It had been almost a week since her last therapy session, and she was eager to get back to her program. She needed to get rid of that darn cane. It made her feel disabled.

They made their way across the almost full car park, turned left at the fountain, and up the walk way to the front of the hospital. The sky had cleared considerably since this morning, but the temperature was still below the level where she could be comfortable without her jacket.

"What's in the paper bag?" Edward asked as they entered through the automatic glass sliding doors of the front entrance of the hospital.

Bella grimaced and immediately felt embarrassed. "Cookies for your Dad," she mumbled, "I thought he might like some. Emmett did clear most of them out."

Edward grinned and slid the haversack down her arm, and onto his shoulder. "Of course he will. Dad was always a sucker for your cooking."

Bella felt relieved. The decision to bring the cookies had been a last minute impulse, and she had packed them up before she could change her mind. She was still a little 'out to sea' when it came to dealing with people, but the Cullens seemed to be incredibly easy. They treated her as if she had been away for three months instead of three years. However, there was one particular Cullen whom Bella anticipated having a problem with – Edward. She was certain that there was more going on than met the eye. Emmett's not so smooth attempt to cover his slip definitely confirmed that. She should really ask, but she was scared. Given her inability to get her neurons firing in a precise sequential manner, she was hesitant to make any unfounded accusations.

They reached the Reception Desk and Edward automatically took her hand in his. A motherly looking woman with hair the colour of a raven's wing, was writing information into a chart - the cover of the pen stuck between her teeth. Edward cleared his throat and smiled broadly when the woman looked up at him. Her expression of impatience instantly gave way to one of pleasure, and her rounded features relaxed into a wide smile.

"Edward, what a nice surprise," she said, her blue eyes twinkling merrily. "How are you?"

"I'm fine Patty, how's Sheila and Colin?"

Patty gave a bubbly laugh, the type that shook her entire round body, and placed the file in the tray on the desk. "Oh, they're great. Sheila just enrolled Colin in his first art class. He claims he wants to be an artist, but who knows? He's only eight so what does he know? Next week he'll want to be a Fireman or maybe an Astronaut,"

Edward chuckled and then turned to Bella, who was watching the conversation with interest.

"Patty, I'd like you to meet Bella," he introduced, and saw Patty study Bella with renewed interest. Curiosity was written all over her kind face, especially when her eyes got to their linked fingers.

"Its about time you brought a girl to see your father," Patty laughed, and held out her hand to Bella. "I'm Patty Crenshaw, Head Nurse, Receptionist, Tour Guide – you name it. It's really nice to meet you."

Bella shook Patty's hand, and was surprised by the woman's strong grip. "Nice to meet you too."

"Anything you need just give me a holler," she offered, "So Edward, what brings you here? Other than a pretty girl." She winked at Bella and she giggled. She could tell that she was going to like Patty.

"Actually, we have an appointment with Dad. Is he in his office?"

Patty picked up the handset, dialed an extension and after a few seconds, spoke into the receiver. "Dr Cullen, Edward and Bella are here to see you. Okay, I'll send them up."

"Thanks, see you later," Edward said waving, and maneuvered Bella down the long corridor towards the elevator.

Edward closed the door behind them and repressing a shudder, dropped the haversack into one of the empty chairs. His hatred and absolute loathing of hospitals had not subsided, even though he had spent all those weeks in the hospital at Bella's side. Carlisle got up from behind his desk and gave Bella a brief hug.

"You made it on time," he said, returning to his chair, "That's a surprise,"

"Not really," Bella laughed and gave Edward a censured look, "Edward's a very….ahhh competent driver."

Carlisle laughed a deep, rich laugh. It sounded nice and warmed Bella up somewhat. "No need to be diplomatic Bella, I know exactly what you mean. He took about 10 years off my life last time I drove with him,"

Edward groaned, and gave his father a scathing look. "I didn't come here to take this sort of abuse,"

Carlisle grabbed a paperclip from the holder on his desk, and threw it at his son. Edward's hand shot out and caught it before it connected with his face.

"What choice do you have?" Carlisle grinned and then his eyes went to the bag in Bella's hand. "By any chance is there something in there for me?" his voice sounded hopeful and Bella giggled – wow, that was twice in one day.

"Of course," she placed the bag on his desk and he made a quick grab for it, "How did you know?"

Carlisle gave her a guilty smile. "Emmett told me that he came over this morning, so I was hoping some of his good fortune would have drifted my way."

"Yes, Emmett came over and tried to eat us out of house and home," Edward retorted drily, and then realised that he had said _'us'_ instead of _'me'_. He snuck a look at Bella to see if she had noticed his slip of tongue, but her attention was on his father.

"What's so unusual about that?" Carlisle asked, examining the contents of the bag, "Now that Bella is back, you'll have to practically pry him away with a crowbar. Maybe we should have put a _'Don't feed the animals'_ sign around his neck as a child, because now you'll never get rid of him. You have no idea what you've done Bella,"

"More Emmett, great," Edward groaned slapping his forehead with the heel of his palm.

Carlisle placed his 'present' into his desk drawer, and pulled out the notes he had received from Dr Masen. Included in that package of information was a FedEx envelope. Carlisle slid a duo of black and white X-rays from the envelope, stood up and went over to the view screen which was mounted on the wall. He stuck them onto the glass and switched on the light. Immediately pictures of Bella's Tibia and Fibula were displayed. Carlisle studied the picture for a few seconds, and then turned his attention to them.

"Well from what I can see from your x-rays and your notes, you're healing quite well. However my main concern right now is your leg. From the damage I see, you'll need an intensive and specially designed program to get you even close to where you want to be."

Bella looked a bit disappointed by Carlisle's diagnosis, but she tried to remind herself that she would work hard to regain her strength. Letting disappointment affect her at this early stage would only have a negative impact on her recovery.

Carlisle gave her a fatherly smile. "But it's still early, so hopefully you'll have the opportunity to regain almost full mobility. Now, I'll need to examine you physically, it that okay?"

Bella nodded. She was a bit uncomfortable with the fact that Edward's father was going to see her without clothing, but since he was going to be her doctor for the duration of her stay, it was something she would just have to get used to.

"Good, just enter the room on the left and take off your outer clothes. I've set out a gown for you and I'll be there momentarily." he instructed, switching off the view screen and removing the x-rays.

When Bella had disappeared through the door, and Carlisle was once again seated behind his desk, Edward fixed his father with a searching look. He had the feeling that Bella's cooking breakfast was not the only conversation his father and Emmett had had.

"Why didn't you tell me?" he asked, hurt and disappointment evident in his voice.

Carlisle shook his head sadly. "It wasn't the right time,"

"It's been two years, when _exactly_ did you think would have been the right time?" Edward asked exasperated.

Carlisle looked a bit ashamed. "Maybe we should have told you sooner, but you've got to understand that it's only within the last year or so that you've come back. Son, we thought we had lost you," he pleaded. "None of us felt good about keeping this from you, but given the circumstances it was the only thing we could do."

Edward was silent for a few minutes, and when he finally spoke, it was with resignation. "I understand, but I don't like it, and I really hate that I had to find out the way I did," His voice broke slightly, "I feel like I failed Em, I should have been there for him."

Carlisle smiled and leaned back in his chair. "Its okay, he understands – we all do. We've had the advantage of dealing with this for a while, but unfortunately, you have to do so now. It won't be easy, especially with everything you're currently dealing with, and the decisions you have to make, but….." he trailed off.

"So he told you about that too?" Edward asked, his voice quiet.

Carlisle nodded. "And we agree with him – sooner rather than later. If you ever hope to have a second chance with her, you need to come clean. Remember, you're not alone, we'll be here to help you."

Edward gave his father a grateful smile. "Thanks Dad. More than likely I'll have to take you up on that offer, especially when she kicks me to the curb."

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~***

Half of an hour later, Bella was dressed and sitting opposite Carlisle once again. The examination had gone well, and it only served to confirm Carlisle's earlier prognosis. Most of her physical scars with the exception of the one on her leg, and the one running down the center of her chest, had healed to the point where they were almost invisible. Carlisle had promised to give her a cream which would accelerate the healing process of the other two.

"Like I was saying before, everything's fine. You just need to continue down this road, and you should be back in no time," Carlisle said as he twirled his pen between his fingers. He then checked his watch. "Jasper should be here soon, he's usually on time."

Bella was about to ask who this Jasper person was when there was a knock on the door. A few seconds later, the door opened and in walked a tall, handsome man with floppy dark blonde, almost sandy coloured hair. He had an athletic build and with his jeans and t-shirt, looked more like a student than anything else. He appeared to be in his early twenties, but then again it seemed that everyone she had met since her arrival yesterday looked younger than they actually were. A prime example was the Cullen men. Edward, Emmett and Carlisle looked more like brothers than father and sons.

"Jasper, we were just talking about you," Carlisle greeted.

Jasper grinned mischievously, his white teeth flashing. "Good things I hope," His voice was pleasant and had a calm, almost soothing quality to it.

Carlisle laughed quietly. "Of course," he then turned to Bella, "Bella, I'd like you to meet Jasper Whitlock, your Therapist,"

Jasper reached out and shook her hand. His grip was sure, confident. "So this is the infamous Bella I have heard so much about. It's nice to finally meet you," He gave her a teasing wink and then turned towards Edward. "Edward, great to see you, I heard you were back."

"Yeah, got back in yesterday," Edward grinned.

"Good, because you owe me a rematch," Jasper said, pointing his finger at him. "And 20 dollars."

Edward roared with laughter. "No way, we won fair and square."

Jasper snorted before seating himself in one of Carlisle's chairs. "You wish! Your last win was a fluke; I tripped over Emmett's big feet. Next time keep him from off my side of the court. Feet like that should have their own zip code," Jasper laughed and pushed a stray lock of hair from in his eyes.

Bella was surprised by the level of familiarity between Edward and Jasper. He had never mentioned that he knew her Therapist, but then again, the subject had never come up. She wondered what other surprises were in-store for her. A sudden horrifying thought slammed into her. What if he had a girlfriend? She groaned silently. She had never thought to ask; she had just picked up and moved into his house. She had taken it for granted that he might be single. She would be surprised if he was single, after all, what woman wouldn't give a kidney to have him all to herself?

She was so lost in her thoughts, that she was unaware Jasper was speaking to her until he waved his hand in front her face. She realised all three men were staring at her with expressions which ranged from amusement, to concern.

"Uh, sorry. What did I miss?" she asked weakly, feeling her face grow warm.

Jasper grinned. "I know we can be boring at times, but I've never had anyone completely zone out before,"

"Sorry," she apologized, glancing down at her hands.

'Hey, I was just kidding. You weren't gone for that long, just long enough to miss the boring parts," he clarified. 'But what I was saying is that for the next few months, there'll be times when you'll hate me with every fiber of your being, and times when you'll love me."

"Is that so?" Bella said thoughtfully, a small smile playing across her lips. "Sounds like a challenge,"

Jasper nodded, his face had become serious and professional. "It is. From what Carlisle has told me and from reviewing your notes and x-rays, we have our work cut out for us. However, I'm not too concerned because I think I have the perfect program for you," he looked lost in thought, "I'll have to modify it a bit, but I'm confident it will work."

"Do you think so?" her voice was filled with hope and excitement. The 40% chance she had been given was so discouraging that she had wept after Dr Masen had left the room. Now here was someone else telling her that she could actually improve on those odds – someone who Carlisle and Edward trusted.

Jasper gave her an encouraging smile. 'Of course, but I need to see something first, " He gestured to her leg, and when she nodded her consent , he squatted in front of her. He took her foot gently in his hands and slid off her shoe and sock. He carefully rolled her pant leg up to her knee, and began to exam her leg.

Out of the corner of her eye, Bella thought she saw Edward stiffen, but when she looked directly at him, his face was impassive – not an emotion showed. He seemed to be watching Jasper's ever move, carefully.

As Jasper continued his through examination, his fingers brushed across the slightly puckered skin of the scar and then moved on to her shin. He used one hand to cup her calf, and placing the other on her in-step, pressed gently upwards. She cringed and sat upright in the chair as a severe cramp attacked her leg. He quickly released her in-step and began to slowly massage her calf. She relaxed as almost immediately, the cramp began to disappear.

"You get a lot of pain in the mornings?" he asked, his eyes on her leg and the area where his fingers continued to slowly but methodically coax the muscle into relaxing.

Bella gave the top of his head a startled look. "Y-yes, how did you know?"

"You've got some damage to your Achilles Tendon. When you're immobile for any period of time, it tends to tighten – kinda like a spring. Its one of the reasons for your limp, and we definitely have to work on it." He looked up studying her face, and she saw his eyes shift ever so slightly toward Edward. For a brief second, a look of comprehension moved across his face, and he smiled smugly.

Bella obviously baffled by the non-verbal communication going on between Jasper and Edward, looked at Edward. He was still looking away from her so she wondered what exactly she had missed.

Edward gritted his teeth and tried to ignore Jasper's hands on Bella's leg. At first the feeling had been one of minute discomfort, but as Jasper's fingers had stroked her skin, the discomfort transformed into undiluted rage. He wanted to slap Jasper's hands away and proclaim to the world that she was his, but in reality, she was not. To his knowledge, Jasper was single, and technically so was Bella, and those two facts alone made it unethical for him to interfere. He had known Jasper long enough to sense whether or not he was attracted to someone, and he was certain that Jasper found Bella attractive.

He thought about all the time they would be spending together, and depression hit with the force of a tidal wave. He stood the chance of losing her, and what made it even worst was his competition was a friend - a friend who at this present moment, he felt like ripping his head off. He had never been territorial before, but the buried instinct seemed to spring to life, and was trying to claw its way to the surface. He swallowed and tried to beat the snarling, primitive 'animal' into submission. After a while, he felt calmer and chanced a glance at Jasper. He had no idea how he knew, but he did. He knew Edward was fighting for control and he knew why. That smug, arrogant smile had said it all. Edward felt horrified. If he was so easy to read, then Bella would become aware of his feelings and maybe soon. He really needed to exercise better control.

Jasper gave Bella's calf one last pat, and presenting her with her shoe and sock, stood up. "Has the cramp gone?"

"Yes, almost immediately," she said her voice filled with wonder, "What did you do?'

Jasper wiggled his fingers and his eyebrows, and a mysterious smile lifted the corner of his mouth. "Famous magic fingers." he teased and Bella laughed.

Edward on the other hand bristled, and squeezed the arm of his chair in a death grip. He could almost imagine himself cheerfully breaking all ten of Jasper's so called 'magic fingers'. This thought brought a grim smile to his face, and he caught Carlisle and Jasper watching him with carefully disguised amusement.

"Bella, do you have some free time now?" Jasper asked, taking his eyes from Edward's. She nodded. "I'd like to determine your range of motion, and run you through a few other tests. I'll use this information to modify the program, and I figure we can start our first session on Tuesday,"

"Wow, that soon?" Bella questioned, slipping her sock and shoe back on.

Jasper nodded and stood up. "I think the sooner we get started, the better. We've got to work on your nerve damage as well as that Achilles tendon. That's a lot of work."

"What about the cramps? Is there anything that can be done now?" Edward asked.

Jasper grinned and Edward almost growled. Jasper was undoubtedly having fun with this, and was sure to throw it back in his face eventually. "Sure, I can teach Bella how to do the massage," he then gave him a not so innocent look. "Maybe then she can teach you."

"That's a good idea," Carlisle interjected, a knowing smile on his face. "Bella did you bring a change of clothes?"

Bella pointed to the haversack and Jasper nodded. "Good, I'll go get everything ready, and you can bring her down Edward. I trust you remember the way?"

Edward nodded and with that, Jasper disappeared through the door.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~***

As Edward and Bella made their way down the corridor towards the therapy room, a truck load of questions rumbled around in Bella's head. The foremost in her mind was how Edward and Jasper knew each other. She figured it was a pretty safe question, so she asked.

"We met a few years ago," he explained, slowing his pace to match hers. He stuck his hands into the pockets of his pants. "I was injured at work and needed about six months of therapy. Jasper had just come to work here and Dad was pretty impressed with him, so he made the recommendation."

"What type of injury?" Bella asked, her eyes wandered over him to see if she had missed something. He appeared to be the picture of health.

Edward seemed to be thinking, but about what she wasn't sure. "I was shot – twice." As he said this, his hand moved to his chest and rubbed the area between his left shoulder blade, but about an inch above his heart. He seemed to perform the action sub-consciously, and not from the fact that he was experiencing actual pain.

Bella felt a chill run down her spine and her steps halted abruptly. She felt a sick feeling stir in the pit of her stomach, and the blood seemed to drain from her face and fingers.

Edward was a few steps ahead when he realised that Bella was not at his side. He turned to look at her and what he saw made him pause. She had gone a sickly shade of green, but that quickly turned to white. She seemed frozen on the spot, her eyes on him.

"Someone shot you?" she croaked, and immediately Edward felt guilty for opening his mouth. This was definitely a situation where less was more. Now she was upset and it was all due to his big mouth.

"Yes, but I'm fine, see?" He raised and lowered his arm as testimony to the fact that he had recovered.

Bella was watching him with frightened eyes. The thought that someone had tried to take her sweet, beautiful Edward's life was almost too much. What if they had been succeeded? She would never have had the opportunity to rekindle their friendship. She tried to imagine him lying cold and still in death, but she couldn't. The thought was just too painful and she felt her eyes burn with tears. She heard him mutter something that sounded remotely like _'crap'_, and then she was enveloped in his arms. She placed her head on his chest and felt sobs rack her body. Edward's hand rubbed her back in little comforting circles, and from a distance she heard the bag and cane clatter to the floor. Her arms flew around his waist, and drew him closer to her. For the briefest of seconds, she felt him stiffen, and then he relaxed into her arms.

She was unaware of how long they stood like that, but she didn't care. She didn't care that people were passing by and staring at them; she didn't care that at the end of the very long hallway, Jasper was waiting for her - all she cared about was being in Edward's arms. Feeling his heartbeat against her cheek and listening to the sound of him breathing in and out - sounds that confirmed that he was very much alive and standing there in her arms.

She tightened her hold on him and inhaled his wonderful scent. She heard and felt the rumbling sound of his laughter, and looked up into his eyes.

"You're a strong little thing, I think I heard a rib crack," he teased, moving his hands from her back to her waist.

She smiled softly into the front of his shirt, and then looked at him again. She felt a tear run down her cheek and Edward brushed it away with his thumb. His fingers lingered on her cheek momentarily before he dropped his hand to his side.

"Bella, its okay, I promise," he whispered, and nudged the top of her head with his chin. He wanted to kiss her forehead, but knew if he did, it wouldn't stop there. "We better get going, Jasper's waiting."

Bella dropped her arms from around his waist and smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry for over-reacting."

Edward shook his head and again brought his hand to her cheek. "Don't apologise, its okay." He then bent to pick up her stuff, took her by the hand and continued down the hall.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~***

**A/N: Chapter 13 will be up in a couple of days. I just need to work on the end and finish the edit. Next chapter will contain a few surprises and I know some people will not be happy with me, but remember, it's the author's right to make any changes necessary to make the story successful LOL.**

**PS – Any grammatical errors you have my heartfelt apologies, but I am here falling asleep at my computer. Please have pity on me.**


	14. And A Hard Place Part 2

**A/N: So, I took a bit longer than I anticipated, but here it is and I hope you like it. Let me warn you now, some of you will really hate me by the end of this chapter, but what can I say, you can please some of the people some of the time, but not all of the people all of the time LOL. **

**I need to pay special tribute to my very supportive reader/reviewer **malana09** who gave me my 100****th**** review – WHOO HOO you rock. Special mention also goes out to **GoldenPhoenix12** and **TraceyUK** (2 new reviewers) and my constant rock **dreampills** (sorry for the anxiety, and I hope this makes up for it). To all others who read, reviewed, added the story to their alerts and me as one of your favourite authors, BLESS YOU, BLESS YOU!!!**

**I finally found a song for Chapter 12 and since it is a two- parter, the same artiste will contribute for both chapters. Chapter 12's song is **_'Fix You'_** and Chapter 13's song is **_'Trouble'_**, all by **_Coldplay_**. Please visit my profile for the link to the live Player.**

**Anyhow, please, please let me know what you think of this particular chapter as I had fun writing it, knowing it would mess with your heads LOL…aren't I a Stinker? **

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**Chapter 13 – And A Hard Place – Part 2**

Edward put his keys, cell phone and watch onto the tray held by the Security Guard, and walked through the metal detector. He grabbed his belongings, and walking across the smooth tiles of the lobby, entered the open elevator. He pressed the button for the 38th floor and then reclined against the cool metal wall of the elevator. He leaned his head back and breathed a sigh of relief. He was glad to be alone with his thoughts, if only for a few minutes. There were just too many things to think about, and all of them were connected to Bella.

Her reaction to his admission about him having been shot had taken him by surprise. If memory served him correctly, when it had happened, she had been mad as hell. The only thing that had stopped her from properly telling him off was that she had been too caught up in her own pain, anguish and lost. To this day, they had never really discussed what had happened that night, and it was probably one of the reasons she had left him in the end. He had been in pain and so had she, but instead of dealing with it as a couple, he had cut her off – both emotionally and physically. He never gave her the chance to tell him how she really felt. He had just pushed everything deep down inside, and withdrawn from the world, and everyone who loved and cared about him.

He thought he had had time to fix everything, but when he had come home on that fateful evening and found Bella sitting on the couch with her bags packed, he knew it was too late – he had run out of time. He had been shocked at first, but that had quickly transformed into anger. He had watched her in silence as she had told him in a flat emotionless voice that their life together was over. She said she couldn't live with the silence anymore, and the distance between them had become too great. So since she was already alone, why not make it official? When she had finished her speech, she had stared at him as if expecting him to say something. However, he had been dumbstruck - the pain too intense. He never thought in a million years that she would leave him – ever.

Realising that silence was the only answer she was going to get, she picked up the two suitcases and walked past him. She had made it halfway to the door when he grabbed her. At first she had looked scared, then hopeful and then triumphant, but what he had said next wiped the expression from her face. He had taken off his wedding ring, flung it across the room and said in a cold, dead voice, _"Fine, you want to go? Then go. I don't need or want you, and I'm tried of pretending to be something I'm not - I'm tired of pretending to want this marriage. Now get out before I throw you out."_

She had looked as if he had slapped her - completely stunned and devastated, and as soon as the words had left his lips, he knew he had gone too far. But there was nothing he could do, the words were out and it was too late to recall them. She had shrugged off his hands, yanked off her wedding rings and dropped them onto the coffee table. The sound of them coming to rest on the glass table top had exploded throughout the otherwise quiet room, and added a level of finality to the situation. She had then turned, picked up her bags and without so much as a 'good-bye', quietly shut the door on their life, and him.

The elevator came to a stop and the doors slid silently open. He stepped out and making a right turn, followed the corridor to its end. At the end, were the double glass doors embossed with the blue, yellow, red, green and white logo of the Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation. He pulled a red security card attached to a black lanyard from underneath his shirt and swiped it through the electronic locking mechanism. The light on the device changed from red to green and he pushed the door open.

As he approached the Reception desk, the impeccably dressed young woman sitting there wearing the bored expression, suddenly sat upright and smiled at him brightly. She gave him an appreciative look, but instead of him feeling flattered, it reminded him of a cat eyeing a tasty piece of meat. She flicked her wavy brown hair over her shoulder and leaned forward across the desk suggestively.

"Hi Edward," she breathed, her voice soft and sultry. "How are you?"

Edward smiled politely. "Hello Mandy, I'm fine thank you. How are things?"

Mandy's full lips made their way into a tiny pout. "Terrible, it's not the same around here without you,"

Mandy Fitzpatrick had worked for the Bureau for the past two years and during that time, she had made her interest in him abundantly clear. She had even gone as far as to corner him on several occasions and invite him out. He had been taken aback by her forwardness, but he always managed a polite _'no'_ along with the explanation that he did not date co-workers or he already had other plans. While his continued stone-walling would have put most people off, it had the opposite effect on Mandy. She continued to flirt with him whenever the opportunity presented itself - now was a prime example.

It wasn't that she wasn't attractive – she was, but he just wasn't interested in being with anyone at that time. His partner had called him crazy for not accepting Mandy's numerous dinner invitations. He had gone on to say that despite the fact she exhibited a few stalker tendencies, she seemed to be a really sweet girl with lovely……assets? Trust Jimmy to notice her assets.

"Couldn't be that bad, you don't seem to be suffering much," he grinned, pointing across the office. "Is Jimmy in?"

"Uh huh, he just came back from lunch," she purred and continued to smile at him.

"Great, I'll just go give him a visit, talk to you later," he said and almost sprinted away. There was only so much of Mandy he could take, and he had reached his quota for the day.

Edward pushed open the door to the office shared by himself and his partner of five years. James Wynters or 'Jimmy', as he was affectionately known, was sitting at his desk with one foot hooked on the corner of the desk and his cell phone to his ear. He waved at Edward, pointed to the phone and mouthed, "Give me a sec."

Edward went around his desk and sat in his chair. The desk was neat and tidy, just the way he had left it, with the exception of a small pile of files sitting in its center. Out of habit, he opened the one on top and began to read through it. It was an on-going investigation about a parental kidnapping case which seemed to be heading towards the cold case stage. He took in the picture of the little red headed boy with the smattering of freckles across his nose and cheeks, and felt a tug at his heart. The child was four years old and had been missing for a year. All fingers pointed towards his father as the abductor, as he had also disappeared around the same time. The boy's mother had to be frantic with worry. Losing a child was never an easy thing for a parent to deal with, and it was even worst when one of the parents was responsible. He really detested working on cases like this, but it was a part of his job, and he couldn't pick and choose what cases he wanted to work on. Every case stood on its own merit, and deserved to have a chance to be solved.

He heard James mutter a few expletives and then closed the phone with a sharp snap. He looked tired and anxious, and Edward wondered what the reason was for his partner's discomfiture. Whatever it was had to be major, because James rarely got upset, and it was obvious that something was eating at him, and in a bad way. He ran his hand through his short expertly cut blonde hair and flung the phone on the desk. It bounced once, and then settled next to a half empty cup of coffee.

"Not having a good day?" he asked, replacing the file on the stack and leaning back in his chair.

James grimaced and rolled his eyes. "That's an understatement. I knew when I woke up this morning I should have called in sick, but I never listen to myself," he grumbled, giving Edward a questioning look. "By the way, what are you doing here? You bored or something?"

Edward grinned. "Not in the least. I was in the city and had some free time, so I decided to stop by and see how things were going."

James gave him a suspicious look, and pointed his pen at him. "Look friend, we've been partners for a while, you really expect me to believe that you dropped by because you had nothing better to do? Why don't you just admit that you miss this place?"

Edward laughed. "Nope, I've got too much going on to miss delving into other people's crap. Plus I needed a break."

James looked thoughtful. "How's Bella?"

"She's better, actually she's the reason I'm in the city." he said, and glanced at his watch. Jasper had said that their session should last about 90 minutes, so he still had a while before he had to get back to the hospital.

James raised an eyebrow. "How's that?"

"She came home with me." he said and waited for James' reaction - he was not disappointed.

"She did what?" he bellowed in surprise, his foot slid off the desk and hit the ground with a solid thud. "She's back in Washington?"

Edward nodded. "I couldn't leave her there, and I feel safer with her here. I can look after her…."

James threw his hands up in the air. "Okay, I get that, but who's going to look after you?"

Edward bristled and gave James a hard look. "What's that supposed to mean?"

The look James gave him said he thought Edward had just lost whatever was left of his sanity. "Remember what happened last time she left? You were totally messed up," Edward opened his mouth, but James again held up a hand. "I mean no disrespect because I like Bella, but she's not good for you. What's going to happen when she leaves again?"

Edward shook his head stubbornly. "That's not going to happen. If she does leave, it won't be like last time – we're friends now." As he said the words, he wondered if James was right. His feelings went way deeper than friendship.

"Really," James snorted, "So you're friends now, and the past has all been forgotten?"

Edward looked away and a guilty look came onto his face. He had never told James that Bella had no memory, but maybe doing so would clear everything up. Thing is the less people who knew about her condition the better off she would be. It would give her the opportunity to live like a normal human being without all the pitying looks, stares and comments. But this was James, his partner and friend, and this argument did not apply to him.

"There's something you don't know," Edward began, "When Bella was attacked she sustained some head trauma – she can't remember a lot of stuff,"

James' expression was blank, which Edward found a bit peculiar as a few seconds ago he had been almost angry. After about five seconds or so, it seemed to dawn on him what Edward said, and the blank look slowly changed to shock and then disbelief.

"Explain stuff," he requested, his voice quiet.

"Well, she can't remember the attack or any part of her life prior to that – especially me and our past." As he said this, he picked up a pen and began to roll it across the surface of the desk with his fingertips. The quiet back and forth motion seemed oddly comforting.

"Is this a permanent thing?" James asked, a note of apprehension in his voice.

"Hopefully not, but time will tell. Once she gets settled in, we'll go from there." Edward said, his earlier fear of losing her rearing its ugly little head again.

"This whole situation is just screaming _'bad idea'_ Edward," James sighed and slammed his hand down on the desk. 'You are setting yourself up for a major fall, and what about her memory? Do you intend to fill in the gaps?

"Why is everyone asking me that?" he snapped. "Look, I didn't plan any of this so I'm making it up as I go along. Just give me a damn break okay? I've got enough pressure to deal with without you adding to it."

James put his hands up in surrender. "Okay, I'm sorry, but I'm just concerned."

Edward sighed. "I know, but it's my business and I'll deal with it and any consequences that arise from my decisions okay? Now drop it, please."

James sighed and was about to respond when Maurice Shannon, Director of the Seattle branch and both their boss, pushed the door and strolled inside. He was a tall, bulky man with salt and pepper hair, and coffee coloured skin. With over 30 years experience in law enforcement, Shannon was as fair and meticulous as they came. He prided himself and his agents on doing the best they could despite sometimes seemingly insurmountable odds. His relentless attitude often filtered down to his subordinates, and while his tactics and demeanor could sometimes be considered harsh at times, it was one of the reasons why the Seattle branch had one of the highest crime conclusion rates in the country.

"Cullen, glad to see you, has Wynters been filling you in on the situation?" Shannon's deep, gravelly voice reminded Edward of a softer version of Barry White's. When Edward looked puzzled, Shannon gave James a hard, questioning look.

"I've only been here a few minutes," Edward explained, his instincts telling him something was up – something not good. "What's going on?"

Shannon leveled him with a steady look, and then closed the door behind him to give them more privacy. This was a sure sign that the situation was extremely serious. Shannon was basically an 'open door' policy sort of man.

"There's been a development in the Black case," he said hesitantly.

Immediately, Edward felt his heart beat increase in tempo, and a hollow feeling opened in the center of his chest. Instantly on high alert, he leaned forward and stared at Shannon blankly, all the while fighting to remain calm.

Shannon grabbed an empty chair and sat, in all one fluid motion. For a big man, he could be considered quite graceful.

"You remember Michael Danvers?" he asked, knowing quite well that that Edward would.

Edward nodded, "Of course. We put him in the Program last year," The _'Program'_ as it was called in-house, was an abbreviation for the Witness Protection Program. "What's going on with him?"

Shannon looked frustrated. "He's dead."

"What?" Edward yelled, rising from his chair.

James cleared his throat. "Yeah, his body was found this morning – seems like a suicide."

Edward snorted in disbelief. "That's not possible – anything else, but not suicide,"

It was now James' and Shannon's turn to look surprised. "You care to explain that?" Shannon asked, folding his arms across this chest. The sleeves of his white button down shirt stretched tightly across his forearms and shoulders.

"Michael Danvers was a deeply religious man. He loved God as much as his wife and daughter," Edward explained coming around to the front of his desk and sitting on its edge. "No matter how bad things got, suicide would not have been an option for him."

"Well it might have something to do with the fact that his wife and kid pulled up stakes and left him," James said shrugging his shoulders.

"When?"

"Month and a half ago," Shannon said, his posture a bit more relaxed. "We got a call from her saying that she wanted out of the program - things weren't going so well with them."

Edward was quiet for a few seconds as he processed this new bit of information. Finally he frowned and shook his head. "No, this is wrong. His wife suddenly leaves him, and he kills himself an entire month and a half after? C'mon, you and I both know if he wanted to kill himself, he would have done it then. Why now? And like I said before, Danvers would never exercise that option. This isn't a suicide, it's a homicide."

"Really, so who do you think killed him – or should I say forced him to commit suicide?" James' voice held a note of derision and it grated on Edward's already sensitive nerves.

Edward stared his partner in the face. "Jacob Black,"

James laughed loudly. "C'mon Edward, how's that possible? Jacob Black is locked up in a federal prison. What do you think he did? Asked for a time out, got on a plane, flew to Arkansas, forced Danvers to hang himself, got back on a plane and then checked himself back into prison?"

"That's just stupid," Edward barked and fixed his partner with a furious look. Sometimes James could be a complete ass, and this was definitely one of those times.

"My point exactly," James snapped, "Stupid."

Shannon held up his hands and the two immediately fell silent. However, they continued to glower at each other across the short distance between the desks.

"Okay, enough," Shannon instructed, "I understand what you're saying Cullen, but Wynters has a valid point. Black has been locked up for the past 3 years, and has been under constant surveillance during that time. How would he have managed to arrange the hit?"

Edward shook his head. "I don't know, but he did. This whole thing reeks of him."

Michael Danvers had been one of the few witnesses to give testimony to Jacob Black's savagery. The information he carried in his head could help to put him away for a long, long time, or hopefully get the death penalty ruling. This was definitely going to have a significant impact on their case.

Jacob Black had first come under the FBI's radar about five years ago, approximately two years after Edward had joined the Bureau. He had been questioned in connection with a string of disappearances of a couple of rather insidious characters, who had been on the Bureau's wanted list. He had been one of Edward's first major cases, and not a day went by, that he did not rue the day the file had come across his desk.

During his training at Quantico, he had been exposed to many things but never the level of depravity associated with Black. To say the man was sick and sadistic was an understatement. Anyone who got in his way or offended him had a nasty habit of disappearing, and reappearing at a later date dead, and minus a few body parts. What had been extremely frustrating from the beginning was all the evidence pointed to him, but authorities never had enough to convict him. He was extremely intelligent, and knew just how far to go without getting caught.

Right now, Jacob Black sat in a maximum security facility in Colorado serving time on a technicality - a technicality that would soon run its course. If they could not gather more evidence and tie him to his crimes, he would be free again in approximately 13 months. He would be free to go after those who had wronged him; free to continue his reign of misery and corruption on society.

During the first year or so after Edward had joined the Bureau, crime in Seattle had suddenly risen and for what reasons no one seemed to know. Those who did refused to talk, and some of them had actually seemed terrified. Then the rumors began to surface that the streets were slowly being taken over by a new crime lord. The word on the street was that he could prove to be your best friend, or worst enemy, depending on which side of the street you stood. He could provide you with anything you required - guns, drugs, prostitutes, you name and given enough money, it was yours.

No one seemed to know where Jacob Black had originated, and all checks into his past had ended up at a dead end. The man was a total enigma, but he had quickly risen up the ranks and until the time of his arrest, led the most powerful crime syndicate in Washington. No one could say how he had managed to become so powerful in such a short space of time, but rumors from him having affiliations with the supernatural, to him being a part of the mafia were being thrown around. Rumors were rampant where he was concerned, but one thing was certain, Jacob Black was extremely dangerous and needed to be put down like the rabid animal he was.

The problem with doing this, was that in addition to the numerous amount of lowlifes he controlled, he also had certain high ranking officials in his back pocket, who protected him. He seemed to have the uncanny ability to corrupt people who were considered unshakable. This was the reason Shannon had assigned the case to Edward and James – he considered their morals and ethics uncompromisable.

A few weeks after they had been assigned the case, he had received his first visit from none other than the man himself. That had surprise the heck out of Edward, as it was highly unusual for the man at the top to make a personal appearance at this early stage in the game. Then again, FBI Profilers seemed to be having a major problem profiling this one, and from the time that had happened, Edward knew Black was bad news.

He had approached him one day during lunch. The fact that he had come out into the open and approached a Federal Agent – especially the one who intended to bring him down, said that he considered himself untouchable. Needless to say, Black's polished image and his smooth words, did nothing to convince Edward that he was anything other than a vicious shark.

After about 10 minutes of carrying on an almost one-sided conversation and not making a dent in Edward's amour, he had smoothly changed tactics. Then, what he had said next had sealed Black's fate in Edward's eyes. He had asked how Edward's pretty wife was, and if she was as talented a Photographer as she looked? He said he knew a lot of people who would be very interested in Bella's work, and he could promise him she would have showings in many of the prominent galleries in the country.

Edward had told him exactly where he could stick his offer. He had feigned disappoint, but that had quickly been replaced by a smug, superior smile. He had then said that a woman as beautiful as Bella deserved the best, and even though he had so ungraciously turned down his offer, maybe one day soon she might accept all his was offering. The word _'all'_ had rolled off his tongue suggestively, making it clear exactly what he meant.

It was at this stage that Edward had lost his cool, and punched Black in the face. James had shown up at that exact moment and pulled Edward off the man. Black had waved his bodyguards away and grinning maliciously, had licked the blood away from his split lip. Edward had shrugged off James' restraining hands and warned Black that if he ever came near Bella or anyone else he cared about, he would kill him. Black had then replied in a soft, mocking voice that he guaranteed Edward would get his chance one day. Of course who would end up dead was a topic very much up for discussion.

The next day when Edward arrived at work, he was immediately summoned to Shannon's office where he had been read the riot act. He had waited until Shannon had finished his tirade, and then explained what had happened. This seemed to placate Shannon a bit, but he had warned Edward to be careful as bad things seemed to happen to people who crossed Jacob Black. He just wished he had listened to Shannon because maybe if he had, things might have turned out differently.

Edward was brought back to this side of reality when Shannon cleared his throat and rubbed his chin. "Well I've got more bad news. Susan Collins died two weeks ago, she was a victim of a hit and run,"

Edward threw his hands in the air in defeat. '"Am I the only one who sees this as weird? Do you really think it's a coincidence that two of our witnesses die within two weeks of each other? Especially at this time when Black is due to be paroled in less than a year?"

James who had earlier dismissed Edward's homicide theory, was looking slightly uncomfortable and Edward knew his partner agreed with him, even if he did not say it out loud.

"We've got to do something about this and soon," he continued, pacing back and forth across the grey and navy textured carpet. "How's he locating our witnesses? Who's helping him? Were there any witnesses at these two deaths? Maybe someone knows something and we haven't talked to them yet. We can't afford to overlook anything. If that bastard gets away, a lot of people are going to be screwed,"

Shannon nodded. "I agree, that's why I'm revoking your leave, reassigning all your other cases and placing you in charge of the investigation. We need results and we need them like yesterday."

Edward feeling himself being torn in two, began thinking hard. Bella had just come home and he was reluctant to leave her alone so soon. It had been weeks now with no sign of her attacker, but he was still on alert. It had been an unspoken agreement between them that he would stay with her until Alice's arrival the following week. He knew it wasn't easy for her being in an unfamiliar place surrounded by strangers – no matter how well meaning they seemed to be, but his presence seemed to ease the transition. The reality was he had neglected his job for the past few weeks, and now it commanded his attention. The need to work on this case was just as strong as his need to be with Bella, but there was really only one solution to his problem. He sighed; there was no alternative, he had to return, especially for this particular case.

"How soon do you need me to come in?" he asked trying to disguise the reluctance in his voice.

Shannon shrugged. "I need you back now, but I'll settle for Monday. That should give you a couple days to sort yourself out." He gave Edward a wise look, seeming to sense his indecision.

"Not a problem. I'll be here first thing Monday morning to meet the team," Edward informed him. "Send me the list of persons and their profiles, and I'll make the choices myself."

"Now see here Cullen," Shannon began, his voice gruff.

Edward held up his hand, effectively halting any protest. "No! My investigation, my team – I pick whose on it. Black has too many people working for him, I don't want to have to watch my back every five minutes. I want to get this done quickly and correctly, okay?"

Shannon and James could only nod their heads in compliance, since it seemed that Edward had already made up his mind, and had taken charge. Shannon watched him with an eye of admiration and something a kin to envy – to be young again.

He had always felt Edward was an excellent leader, and would not be surprised if one day he was chosen as his replacement when he retired. If he had his way and he knew he would, he intended to name him as his successor. He was confident that Edward could do the job and do it well.

He knew a little of the problems Edward had experienced a few years ago, but what had reinforced his belief in his capabilities, was the way he had eventually turned it around to his advantage, and used it to make himself an even better agent. He also knew this case struck a very personal chord with Edward, which was one of the reasons he had put him in charge of the investigation instead of James. James was the straight forward, see what's in front of you, tunnel vision type, while Edward was more aware and careful. He thought outside the box and could assess a situation quickly, decisively and choose the right course of action in a heartbeat. Edward also had the right kind of motivation to get to the bottom of this, as well as the practical and technical experience. His reputation dictated that he would be extremely careful, making sure that everything was done by the book, without any mistakes which could prove detrimental to their case. Next time Black would not get off on a technicality like he had before.

Because of one agent's carelessness at a crime scene, instead of Black being convicted for murder, he had been charged with assault, and had been sentenced to five years with time off for good behavior. Based on what they knew Black to be about, it had been a hard blow for the team, but an even harder one for Edward. He had put his all into the case – so much so, that he had stayed away from home for days at a time, especially when it was imperative for him to be with his family. Shannon was well aware of how the outcome had shaken Edward's entire belief in the justice system, thus making him distrustful of authority figures.

Then had come the night when Edward had been shot. They had received a reliable tip that an important witness to the case – a person who had gone into hiding, had resurfaced. Shannon had decided at the last minute to accompany the team. This was highly unusual but something had told him he needed to be there. His wife had always told him to listen to his instincts, as it was God's way of speaking to him. It was a good thing he had listened because had he not, Edward would have died. Where the shooter had come from, and where he went to remains a mystery to this day, but by the time he had disappeared, Edward was lying in a pool of blood, fighting for his life.

Shannon had been nearby when he had heard the shots. He had drawn his weapon, and moved in the direction of the sound. By the time he had entered the last bedroom of the apartment, Edward was barely conscious, and the assailant had escaped through the open window and down the fire escape. He had yelled for help and applied pressure to the wound, all the while trying to keep Edward from slipping away. He had stayed in that position until the paramedics had arrived to take over.

That night was as vivid in his mind as if it had happened yesterday, because that was the day he had almost lost one of his best agents.

**~*~*~***

Edward looked at his watch, grabbed his phone and keys from the desk and pocketed them. He had about 30 minutes to get back to the hospital and he had two very important stops he needed to make first. If Bella was going to be alone for most of next week, he needed to ensure he put certain things in place. When he left her to return to work on Monday, he did not want to be worrying about her safety every minute of the day. He needed to focus on his job. He had learnt that trying to concentrate on too many things at the same time left one vulnerable to attack, and gave people the opportunity to sweep into your life and turn everything upside down. Yes, he had learnt this particular lesson the very hard way, and he had no intention of getting a refresher course.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~***

Jacob Black sat on the single bed inside his cell, and leaned against the off white wall with his hands clasped behind his head. To anyone passing by the iron bars and looking inside, they would have assumed that he was enjoying a really great joke - he most definitely was. Everything was slowly falling into place and when all the pieces had been secured, he would be free. Free of this prison, free of his enemies, and free to live the life he had worked so hard to achieve.

By most standards, he had had a fairly reasonable life in prison these past 3 years. If he said that to anyone, he could guarantee they would cart him off to the loony bin. Who had a good time in prison being cut off from the outside world? No contact, no freedom to go where you wanted at any time you wanted? No access to good food, and the warm body of a woman in his bed? Yes, people would definitely think he had lost his mind. However, every situation had its unique set of circumstances – both positive and negative.

He viewed his imprisonment as a learning experience, almost like an experiment. The Oxford Dictionary's definition of the word experiment was _"a new course of action adopted without being sure of the outcome"_, but Jacob saw this as highly inaccurate. He was sure what the outcome would be, and that he would greatly benefit from his discoveries. His little _'experiment'_ also taught him, that normal, logical people would be unable to see the advantages of being placed in his situation.

To him, the ultimate experiment would be placing one illogical person (himself), in a logical environment surrounded by ordinary, logical individuals. Chances are the logical individuals learned nothing from their experience. They balked at the situation, and saw their incarceration as failure on their part, and as a major inconvenience in their otherwise pitiful lives. Jacob on the other hand saw this maximum security prison as the perfect learning facility; a place where he could learn more about the human psyche and ways to exploit it, as well as gather a few friends. One always needed friends – both inside and outside of prison.

Now speaking of _'outside'_ friends, he began to smile again at the information he had received moments ago. Michael Danvers had decided to be a really nice guy and hang himself. Jacob would see to it that his wife and daughter received some sort of compensation. He was _always _appreciative of people's sacrifices, especially if he benefited.

People assumed that because he was locked away in this 'slice of heaven', he remained misinformed and out of the general loop of things. Oh how wrong they were. He was more informed now then ever. There would usually be an hour or two delay in him receiving the information, but what could one expect given the limited parameters with which he had to work with? Security measures in this place were extremely tight, but he had managed to find a few flaws and used them to his advantage.

Naïve and short sighted people like Edward Cullen, could never begin to grasp the concept of how exactly big this entire thing was. He thought that by locking him away, and hiding a few so called 'witnesses' in a program as antiquated as the Declaration of Independence, would make the world a safer place. Jacob snorted in amusement. He was so mistaken. Cullen's attempt to have him cut off from everyone, and everything had actually backfired. Thanks to him, he now saw the world through new eyes. He had developed a level of patience he never knew was possible, but most importantly, he had discovered new ways to deceive and destroy his enemies. Oh yes, he had a long list of people he needed to _'thank'_ when he left this place behind him, and at its head was Edward Cullen.


	15. Complications

**A/N: Welcome to another chapter of my story. Yes I know it has been a while, but I find as I get further and further into the story, the chapters get lengthier and the details more. I would love to shoot out a chapter per week, but I realise that's being a bit unrealistic. I guess it's a situation of quality over quantity, and if you want a really good story you're going to have to bear with me. **

**Anyhoo, I want to do the usual and thank everyone for their support. Special mention goes out to my top 2 reviewers whose reviews always bring a smile to my face and warmth to my heart –** _malana09_ **and** _dreampills_**. I would also like to thank my new reviewers - **_Shannan_** (I am so glad that you are enjoying my story and think that I have talent – you have no idea how good that makes me feel) and **_ht_** (I hope you continue to read and I look forward to your comments). Last but by no means least, are **_Twilightforever, Mandi82_** and **_TraceyUK_** – you guys are the bomb.**

**I am in the process of having a banner created for my story, but that is still a few weeks off. I met this really talented person and she has graciously agreed to create one for me. I can't wait (WHOO HOO).**

**Well, I won't bother to bore you anymore, just to let you know that this chapter's song is **_'You and Me'_** by **_Lifehouse_**, seen from Edward's perspective. **

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~***

**Chapter 14 – Complications**

Bella put the finishing touches on the Chicken Cacciatore she was preparing for dinner, and turned the heat on the stove down to a simmer. She grabbed the vegetables she had washed earlier and began chopping them in preparation for the salad she intended to serve along with the Roasted Garlic and Cheddar Cheese Mashed Potatoes. She took another quick look at the cook book she had acquired while in Seattle earlier that day, and felt pleased with her efforts.

When Edward had returned to collect her from her horror session with Jasper, and that was an understated description, she had begged him to take her to the closest bookstore. Her hunt for one book had turned into six – 2 books featuring photos she had taken, one entitled _'Photography For Dummies'_, one Dessert cook book and two other general ones with an assortment of dishes.

When she had picked up the _'For Dummies'_ book, Edward had almost snatched it from her hands. He had narrowed his eyes at her and asked why she felt the need to buy that particular book? Her response had been that she doubted very much if she could remember how to hold a camera in an upright position, furthermore take anything worth not throwing in the garbage. He hadn't seemed particularly pleased with her answer, but he had added it to her quickly growing pile, taken them to the cashier, and paid for them despite her many protests. He had coolly brushed her concerns aside by asking her if she could remember her banker, or for that matter if she had any money on her? That had effectively shut her up, and when they had returned to the SUV, she had sat stiffly against the black leather seats with her arms folded across her chest, in somewhat of a huff. On the drive to the ferry, she had snuck a few glances at him and saw the side of his mouth climb further and further into that insufferable crooked smile, until he was in the throes of a full blown grin.

She had resisted the urge to smack him across the head for teasing her, but only just barely. Her palm had itched unmercifully to connect with the back of that head with its messy mane of bronze coloured hair.

By the time they had arrived home, they were again talking, but she sensed something was a bit on the off with him. The feeling she got was that whatever was on his mind, had nothing to do with his mood of this morning, and it concerned her. Something had happened during the time he had left her, ran his errands, and returned to collect her. Right now, he was holed up in his study and had been for the past two hours. She tried not to think that maybe his disappearing act was the result of him trying to avoid her. She was also trying very, very hard not to succumb to the urge to check on him.

She remembered their earlier conversation – the one where he had admitted to being shot, and again a chill went up and down her spine. She wondered if she would ever find the courage to ask for the details - she suspected not anytime soon. And then there had been the hug – the one hug that had differed from all others he had given to her during these past few weeks. This one said something else, something more than _'I'm doing this to comfort a friend'._ She sighed. What she had felt in his arms could not be described as strictly platonic feelings. What she felt was more like a slow, burning ache centered in the very pit of her stomach. She though of his lips on her hair and automatically felt a tightening in her lower stomach region. If she could find the strength to deal with these completely irrational and foreign feelings towards her friend, then maybe everything would end up in her favour. However, at this time, she seemed no more capable of controlling her feelings than she could the re-emergence of her memories – in other words, she was doomed.

"Ugh," she groaned, frustrated, and squeaked in alarm as the knife slipped and barely missed slicing into her finger. She quickly examined the digit and sighed in relief when it appeared to be in one, unblemished piece.

"Concentrate Bella" she ordered herself sternly. Another hospital stay was not on her schedule of events, besides she would probably bleed to death before she reached SUH, then all the efforts of the doctors in BC would have gone to waste. She could just imagine the headlines _**'Woman Survives Attacker Only To Be Done In By Kitchen Utensil'**_ – how ironic. She laughed quietly and scraped what vegetables she had cut, into a wooden salad bowl.

She had no intention of going under that easily. After all she had been through, she intended to be around for a very long time, and live her life unafraid and to the fullest. No one, and she meant _no one_, was going to take that away from her.

**~*~*~***

Edward perused the shortened version of the list of agents Shannon had sent to him via email, and once again reviewed their profiles. Of the twelve names he had received, he had only found five suitable for his purposes. These five – a mixture of two females and three males, seemed to be the best of the lot, and he felt marginally comfortable that they would get the job done. Of course James would make the seventh member of the team and that went with out discussion. He had caught the momentarily look of surprise on James' face when Shannon had made his announcement. He had felt a bit uncomfortable as it seemed that James was being pushed into the background. While this was not the case, one could interpret it as such. Shannon had made his choice because he was aware of the level of experience Edward had with Jacob Black. He was the obvious choice, and that was what this case needed at this present point in time – knowledge and keen, focused direction.

Edward's thoughts came back to Bella and he glanced at the clock on the wall above his head. _Crap,_ he thought, _Where had the time gone?_ He had been MIA for over two hours, and he could see the sun slowly making its way behind the forest of green Sitka Spruces. He stood and stretched, trying to get the kinks out of his back. He made his way over to the window and placed his hand, palm side down, on its rapidly, cooling surface. He could feel the last rays of the Sun's warmth against his fingertips and he sighed. This moment with all its stillness and quiet beauty, Bella finally being at home again, and his memory of the 'thing' which he had seen in her eyes today during that brief, intense moment at the hospital, should be enough to make him happy – give him some hope. However, he felt restless – almost edgy.

The horizon seemed clear, but he sensed a gathering storm – one which had nothing to do with atmospheric conditions. This storm was a culmination of everything that had remained unfinished during the past few years of his existence. An existence which had been oddly empty without the woman outside – the woman whom he realised he loved more than his own life; the woman who he would probably lose when this entire fiasco was over - when she saw him for what he was – a liar and a coward.

And then there was this case. Jacob Black had been a pain in the ass then and even though he was temporarily behind bars, he was proving to be an even bigger pain. He wanted – no, _needed_, to put this case to bed. He needed to know that that bastard was tucked away somewhere where he could no longer pose a threat to anyone.

As his thoughts ran helter skelter through his mind, he saw the last tip of the sun disappear behind the hills, its fingers of light extending towards the heavens in one last attempt to keep the encroaching darkness at bay. After what seemed like only a few seconds, but in reality was a few minutes, it gave up the fight and all traces of the glowing orb disappeared until the breaking of dawn the following day, when it would once again wage and win the age old battle.

This seemed strangely significant to Edward. Was he fighting a battle which was doomed to eventual failure? Would he repeat his mistakes time and time again only to emerge bruised and broken at the end? Maybe this time, the good guys would come in last.

He was interrupted from his ruminations by a gentle, almost hesitant knock on the door. Bella. Even through the closed door, her fragrance wafted ahead of her, invading every nuance of his senses.

"Come in," he instructed, his voice slightly hoarse from misuse and anticipation.

The door opened and Bella stuck her head inside. Her eyes were guarded and uncertain, but her smile upon seeing him, lit up the room. Giving in to the urge to see her properly, he flipped on the desk top lamp .

"Hey," she greeted softly. She seemed to be expecting something, but what he was unsure of.

"Hey," he returned, "what's up?" His eyes hungrily took in every angle of her face, which was surrounded by dark, straight hair. It brought back memories of them lying in bed, the dark, silky curtain spread out across his chest. He had always liked her hair long and flowing.

He had seen her a few months after she had left Washington and to his horror, she had cut her beautiful hair short. It had no longer spilt down her back, but curled gently around her ears. He had been furious, but it hadn't been the right time or place to express his displeasure because that would have extremely insensitive and selfish. She had been too busy grieving – grieving for the woman she was about to bury – Renee, her mother. To him, Renee's death had been a painful, unwelcomed surprise – he hadn't even been aware that she had been ill, but if it had been so much of a surprise to him, he could only imagine how Bella felt. From what he had learnt from Alice, Renee had hidden her illness from her daughter until almost the very end.

Deep down he knew that her cutting her hair had been a pointed and defiant move on her part – it had been an attempt to sever any ties she had to her old life – especially to him.

"Uh…dinner is ready," she stammered, resisting the urge to flee as he stood there in silence, his green eyes watching her intently. A gentle smile crossed his face, whether from her announcement or from what he was thinking, she was unsure. He rubbed his right temple, gestured to the laptop and grinned sheepishly.

"Sorry, time got away from me – work," he explained, "Give me a few minutes to finish up and I'll be out."

"Sure," she said, biting into the soft flesh of her bottom lip. She seemed about to say something, but changed her mind and disappeared, the door softly closing behind her. He cringed slightly as the sound of the door closing was magnified throughout the still room. The sound reminded him of the last night they had been together as an official couple – that very night when she had left.

He shook his head as if trying to rid his already overloaded brain of its thoughts. He was never one to settle into a state of moroseness, but he found himself doing just that. He knew exactly where his thoughts were headed, and he needed to put a stop to them before he made a stupid decision – one that he could guarantee he would regret at a much later date.

Jacob Black was one of the main reasons for his uneasiness. Last time he and that bastard had clashed, Bella had been caught in the crossfire. Now she was back and Black had managed – from his cell no less, to invade his life once again. What an ironic coincidence. If he was a superstitious person, he would swear there was something cosmic tying the three of them together.

He saved his file, shut the computer down and grimaced. _Supernatural indeed,_ he scoffed. More like just rotten luck. A few days after his arrival in Vancouver and after Bella's lapse into her coma, he had wondered if Black had had a hand in Bella's attack, but he had quickly dismissed the thought. It made absolutely no sense, Black stood to gain nothing by Bella's death. The two cases were entirely unrelated, right? It seemed that way and common sense dictated that, but something in the back of his mind – something just out of his peripheral vision, nagged at him.

Closing the door behind him, he made his way to the kitchen. The mouth watering aroma had risen a few notches and again his stomach protested, loudly. With the exception of his mother and one of the few dates he had had in the past year, no one else had cooked for him. This was a welcomed change – a change he knew he could quickly become accustomed to again.

As he reached the doorway of the kitchen, his steps slowed and then stopped. Bella was standing with her back to him, her hips swayed gently in rhythm to the music coming from the stereo. Gone were the t-shirt and shorts she had been wearing before he had disappeared earlier. She was now clothed in a baby blue, sleeveless blouse patterned with tiny white flowers, white capris and black flip flops. He looked down at his rumpled t-shirt, jeans and bare feet, and felt horribly under-dressed. He was about to execute an about turn and head upstairs to his bedroom to change, when she turned and caught him standing there.

"Come in," she invited with a wave of her hand. Her welcoming smile faltered briefly when he remained in the doorway. "Is something wrong?"

Edward shook his head. "Uh…maybe I should go change my clothes first…" he muttered, taking a step backwards.

Bella gave him a strange look. "Why? Is there something wrong with what you've got on now?"

"Well, no, but you're so…" His speech trailed off and all he could do was gesture to her dress, "Dressed up." He finished lamely.

Bella looked down at herself in surprise. She has just grabbed the first matching set of clothing she had put her hands on, not caring what they were. Well almost not caring – she had wanted to look nice, as this occasion was special; it was the first time she would make dinner for him…at least that she could recall.

Bella limped over to him, took his hand and pulled him into the room and over to the table. The table had already been set up for two persons, and he marveled at the fact that she had been able to perform all the tasks without any assistance.

"Sit!" she ordered sternly, and pointed towards one of the two chairs.

He gave a mock salute, and did as he was told. "Yes mamma." He grinned and plunked himself down in the awaiting chair.

"Oh shut up," she grumbled, trying to keep a smile from breaking through her tough outer exterior as she poured water into the empty goblets. Realising that she had won this round, she smirked and began to put the food on their plates.

Edward poked at the chicken on his plate with his fork and eyed it dubiously. It smelled wonderful, but did it taste the same? From under his lashes, he saw Bella watching him intently, and caught a wicked smile tug at her lips.

"Uh---, what is it?" he asked, timidly. Breakfast was one thing, but a full meal was a whole other matter. He had never doubted Bella's cooking abilities – until now.

"It's chicken," she stated and resting her chin on her palm, continued to watch the myriad of emotions which crossed his face. Edward could almost swear that she was daring him to take a bite.

"Have you ever made it before?" he asked, immediately feeling like a fool. Even if she had, it was obvious that she would have no memory of the experience.

Bella raised one slender, dark eyebrow as if to say, _are you kidding me?_ "Not that I can remember," she gave him a wicked look, "But there's always a first time for everything. Hey you can only die once, right?"

Edward shook his head and gave her a sad look. "It's not the dying I'm worried about – that's the easy part, it's the painful process of being slow poisoned that concerns me."

Bella balled up her napkin in her fist and threw it at his head. He ducked, but the make-shift missile still managed to clip him on the ear as it sailed by. He grabbed at it and his fingers snared it before it hit the ground.

"Now stop messing around and eat," she commanded when he had returned her napkin.

"Yes Mom." He muttered sarcastically, and took a bite.

To say that it tasted good was an understatement of immense proportions; it was absolutely amazing. The perfectly blended flavours exploded across his tongue and the chicken just seemed to melt in his mouth – wow! He closed his eyes, took another bite and resisted the urge to groan in satisfaction. When he had repeated this action a few more times, he opened one eye and caught Bella grinning at him – a very smug and satisfied look on her face.

"Is it good?" she asked, spearing a segment of mandarin from her salad with her fork and popping it into her mouth.

"Better than that – its incredible," he announced and shoved a forkful of the mashed potatoes into his empty mouth. "Emmett would kill to get some of this; I can't wait to rub this in."

They ate in companionable silence, the only noises to be heard was the quiet music of the stereo and the soft clink of their knives and forks against the square, white china plates. The atmosphere was relaxing, almost familiar to Bella, and as she carefully chewed her food, the question which had been plaguing her all day, came to mind. She debated whether or not she should voice it. Did it really matter if he was committed to someone else and if he was, how would she feel about that? Would it make things between them become awkward and uncomfortable? What would she do whenever his girlfriend came over? Would she hide away inside her bedroom until they left or fell asleep?

Fell asleep…the thought of Edward sharing his bed with some unknown woman was not one she liked very much. To be more precise, she hated the very idea. She liked things the way they were and didn't want them to change, but she was human and imbued with that one thing which always got her species into trouble – the need to know - curiosity. As scared as she was of hearing the answer to her question, she was even more terrified of not knowing the truth. She had to know – she just had too.

She set her fork down and started directly at the man seated across from her. While she had been so caught up in her thoughts, she had assumed that he was busy eating and was paying her no attention. How wrong she was. He was watching her with an expectant look; almost as if he had been listening in on her thoughts.

"Something on your mind?" he asked, putting his fork down on the now empty plate. He wiped his mouth with his napkin, bunched it up and dropped it beside the plate.

Bella felt surprised by his outright question, but grateful at the same time as it provided her with the perfect opportunity to launch the discussion. "Uh, yes," she paused, biting her lip. "I think I need to apologise to you."

Edward's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Apologise?" he echoed, "Whatever for?"

Bella clasped her hands on her lap and stared at the lone cherry tomato on her plate. She felt a strange kinship with the piece of fruit – one small, insignificant blip alone in the undulating sea of life.

"I just…." She began and feeling at a lost for words, inhaled deeply and began again. "You must think me an incredibly selfish person." When the look of bewilderment on Edward's face increased, she plowed on.

"You invited me into your home, and I just moved in without so much as a thought as to how inconvenient this must be for you."

Edward shook his head and rubbed the back of his neck. "Uh….Bella, I'm still lost. What are you talking about?"

Bella sighed and grabbed onto her courage with all ten fingers and all ten toes. The words were out of her mouth in a rush before she could think about what she wanted to say, or even censor them. "Are you seeing someone?"

There was silence from the opposite end of the table, and Bella was almost afraid to look into his face. Oh yeah, she had really done it this time; opened her mouth and firmly inserted her foot. In addition to dealing with her embarrassment, she had to also deal with the fact that she had probably pissed him off something serious. He was so mad in fact, that he had gone completely silent; probably trying to find a polite way to tell her it was none of her business. She felt her warm face intensify in temperature, and knew her face probably resembled the tomato still sitting on her plate.

The silence between them deepened, and Bella felt as if she was going to explode from the tension. Finally when she felt she could take it no more, she dared to look at him. She expected his face to be an angry mask, but what she saw surprised her. He was watching her with an expression of surprise and… amusement?

Not understanding his reaction and greatly in need of a distraction to cover her embarrassment, she got up from the table and took her plate and utensils over to the sink. With her back to him, she drew in a few steadying breaths and stared out through the window. Darkness had snuck up on them without her having realised. The sky was a solid, starless wall of black and she knew if she opened the window and took a breath, she would smell the clean, fresh fragrance of the approaching rain.

"Look, I'm sorry. It's none of my business," she mumbled, returning her attention to her current situation. "I shouldn't have asked…forget it."

"Bella…" Edward began, but went silent when Bella continued to speak, almost as if not hearing him.

"I just don't want to cause problems between you and your ---," she gulped, almost cringing at her next word. "G-girlfriend. I mean how would I feel if I came to my boyfriend's house and found a woman living there? I would be pretty upset."

"You would be?" Edward's voice sounded a bit strange and this made Bella turn around to look at him. Again he was watching her with that intense look – the one that in recent times, she was seeing with increasing frequency.

She nodded. "Well, yes," she replied truthfully, feeling uncomfortable under his stare. "Who wouldn't be?"

Edward pursed his lips and seemed to be considering her words. He then stood up, grabbed his things from the table and came to her side. He ran the water over both their dishes, glasses and cutlery, loaded then in the dish washer and closed the door.

"Well I don't think that particular aspect will be a problem." He stated, leaning against the counter beside her. He crossed his feet at the ankle and did the same with his arms across his chest. The sleeves of his t-shirt strained slightly against the smooth muscles of his biceps.

"Oh," Bella whispered, his words confirming her worst fear. So he did have a girlfriend. She felt her world slowly beginning to crumble around her and a lump rose in her throat. She tried to swallow past it, but with every breath she took, it seemed to increase in size. Oh dear, this was not good. A part of her had clung to the hope that he was single.

"But that's only because I'm not seeing anyone right now." he said, his voice filled with amusement.

Bella gave him a quick look, not quite believing her ears. He was smiling and she wondered if he had any idea how happy he had just made her? She felt as if she had just won the lottery and a part of her tried not to analyse what exactly that meant. Why should she feel such delight at Edward's _'single'_ status?

"However, maybe I'm the one who should be worried." Edward said, staring off into space, a ghost of a smile still on his lips.

"Why?" Bella asked, still firmly immersed in her happy place.

He shrugged. "You might be the one with the boyfriend. I never thought to ask – I just swooped in and moved you here. Maybe you have a significant other." As he said the words, he realised how badly he wanted this not to be true.

Edward's words came as a surprise to Bella. Throughout all this, she has never considered the idea that she might actually be committed to someone. Holy cow, what would she do if that was the case?

"Well…" she said slowly, drawing out the '_Ls' _in the word, "I don't think I do. Alice never said anything, so that's a sign."

Edward waved his index finger at her. "Ah, but Alice was away for a couple of weeks before your accident, maybe you met someone during that time."

Bella gave Edward an exasperated look. What was he trying to do? Push her off on some other man?

"Okay, so let's say for argument's sake that I did have a boyfriend who Alice knows nothing about," she hypothesized, crossing her arms across her chest. "I was in the hospital for almost two months and he never came to visit, nor did he call. I think those facts alone speak volumes. If you were in my position, what would you do?"

Edward thought about it for a few seconds and tried to look apathetic, but he failed miserably. He was obviously enjoying their game. "Dump him?"

"Then consider him dumped, so now you're safe. No one will charge in and try to defend my honour so sorry to disappoint you, but they'll be no pistols being drawn at dawn." She gave him a cheeky grin and immediately the urge to kiss her became almost unbearable.

He sighed and snapped his fingers. "Rats, and I was so looking forward to a good ole early morning duel. Spoil my fun why don't you?"

She threw back her head and laughed. The sound seemed to curl its way around the pleasure centers of his brain and he continued to stare openly at her lips. It still astonished him that after knowing her for all this time, in addition to the time they had spent apart, she still had a gut wrenching effect on him. It was almost like falling down a long, dark tunnel with the wind rushing pass you, and as you fell, you tried unsuccessfully to catch your breath.

"So, what about that other thing?" she asked, giving him an innocent look.

Her question took a few seconds to sink in, but when it did, he had to fight to get his hormones until control. "Huh? What other thing?"

"You've had something on your mind ever since we left the city…" She held up her hand when he opened his mouth, "And don't try to deny it – I'm getting to know you pretty well and I know when something is going on with you. Now spill it."

Edward sighed and once again in so many hours, scolded himself for being so transparent. It only seemed to happen with her or his family – people he felt extremely close to. Not even James could breach his barriers and they had been partners for a long time. He had always had the ability to hold his emotions in check with an iron fist – with the exception of three occasions that he could remember. Once was when Bella had left, the next was when she had almost died recently, and the next…. Well that was just too painful to think about.

He felt as if he was becoming soft, and in a way maybe getting back to work would be a good thing. Here in his comfort zone, he seemed to be a bundle of raw nerves and emotions, while on the job he could desensitize himself - become cool and detached. It seemed easier to do in that environment, and maybe it would help him to better exercise control over his emotions at home.

"Are you finished?" he asked, making the decision to tell her as much as he dared without jeopardizing the case, or her safety.

She nodded and taking her by the hand, he led her into the living room. After he had made sure she was comfortably seated in the recliner, he took a seat across from her, placed one of the throw cushions on his stomach and leaned back wearily. The night was quiet with the occasional sound of the crickets breaking the stillness – their chorus setting the night abuzz with their high pitched clicks.

"Something unexpected has come up. When I left you today, I decided to pay a visit to the office," he said, his voice quiet, "A case I've been working on has had a couple of new developments."

Bella stretched her arms above her head and settled herself more comfortably in the chair. "What type of developments?"

"Two of our witnesses have died while in protective custody under what I consider to be highly suspicious circumstances," he explained, his voice grim. "Their deaths will have a huge impact on my case, and I need to determine if they did die by 'accident' or if….a hit was put out on them."

Bella put her hand over her mouth at his last words. She knew he worked for the FBI, but she had never really thought about what exactly it was he did there. All this talk of dying and hits made her realise how dangerous his job was. It brought back their earlier conversation of him being shot. Was this what his life was all about? Dodging bullets and risking his life every single day? She wasn't sure if she could handle it, furthermore if she wanted too.

Oblivious to her turmoil, Edward went on speaking. "I know we've never really discussed this, but it was the understanding that I would be here until Alice's arrival, but…" he trailed off, a frown marring his forehead.

Bella nodded in understanding. "You've got to go back to work." It was more of a statement than a question.

"Yes." He confirmed and gave her an apologetic look.

Bella felt a brief moment of panic at the prospect of being alone in this big house without Edward. She had grown so accustom to his presence – he had become her safety net of sorts, and maybe, that was not a good thing. Without meaning to, she had become way too dependant on him for her survival.

"When do you have to go?" she asked him, all the while trying to tramp down the rising panic so that her voice would sound normal.

"Monday morning," he said, watching her face for any change in expression.

_Two days,_ she thought. She mentally shook herself and tried to be objective. Edward had taken a considerable amount of time away from his job to take care of her. In addition to that, he had also rearranged his life so that she could be safe – going to such lengths as to move her to Washington. He had done so much for her and now it was her turn to reciprocate. She couldn't be selfish; she had to act as if this news had no effect on her.

"That's okay," she said in a too bright tone. Her voice sounded phony to her ears and she hoped that Edward would not pick up on it.

"Are you sure?" he asked uncertainly. "I'm not comfortable leaving you here on your own….maybe I should call Alice and see if she can come down a few days earlier." He seemed almost to be talking to himself.

Bella immediately felt anger stir deep within her. She threw him a furious look. "No!" She almost yelled the word at him. "You are not to call Alice! I'm not six years old Edward, I don't need a babysitter."

"Bella, I wasn't trying to imply that you're a child," he said, exasperation colouring his tone.

Bella's furious expression got even darker and her eyebrows furrowed in anger. "Yes you were. I am perfectly capable of looking after myself. I can't remember a lot of things, but I'm not stupid."

Edward gritted his teeth and rubbing his hands across his face, groaned loudly. "I never said you were, I would just prefer for someone to be here with you while I'm at work."

Edward felt like cutting out his tongue and mailing it to somewhere far, far away. The more he tried to explain himself to Bella, the worst it sounded and the angrier she looked. Why had he suddenly lost the ability to run two concurrent sentences together and have them make sense where she was concerned? He always seem to say the wrong thing and knowing Bella, she was about to get as far away from him as possible. He saw her sit upright and knew she was going to make a 'run' for it. His dilemma was if he should stop her or allow her to cool down for a while and then try again? From past experience, a time out was probably the better choice.

Bella struggled, but finally managed to eject herself from the confining arms of the recliner. She grabbed her cane and stood abruptly, trying to ignore the twinge in her bad leg. She glared across at Edward, her face crimson with anger and embarrassment. Would he ever see her as anything other than a child who needed to be looked after every moment, of every stinking day? Would he ever see her as a woman? A woman, who despite the anger she felt, wanted to grab him and kiss him until they were both dizzy and collapsed from lack of oxygen.

"Exactly, you think I need a babysitter." She retorted, trying to push the vision of her kissing him from her mind. The wayward thought was quickly diffusing her anger and she needed to hold onto the emotion if she was going to get her point across. "I'm a woman Edward, not a child and I'll not be treated like one." And with that, she spun around and limped as quickly as she could from the room. Sometime after that, he heard her bedroom door slam shut.

"Argh!" he yelled, throwing the two cushions across the room, one after the other, in two completely different directions. The first one hit the wall and slid forlornly down to the floor where it remained still; the other fell into the fireplace where it then disappeared from sight into the other room. If they were issuing an award for the most screw-ups in one evening, Edward would be the one and only nominee – he would win the prize hands down.

**~*~*~***

An hour later, Edward plucked up the courage to knock on Bella's bedroom door. There was silence and when he was about to turn away, her voice came from the other side bidding him to enter. He turned the doorknob, entered and closed the door behind him. Bella was lying on her stomach on her bed with her chin cradled in her palms. Her pajama clad legs swung restlessly in the air and her laptop was opened in front of her, however, she wasn't looking at the screen but staring at him, an impatient expression on her face.

_Uh Oh,_ he thought, maybe he should have waited the extra half hour. She did not look pleased to see him and he could tell that she was still upset.

Edward's hair was especially unruly and it looked as if he had run his fingers through it for the past hour. If she was in a better mood, she would have thought he looked adorable especially since he was wearing his 'sorry' face, but she was still mad at him. He had to understand that there were just times when he made her feel so disabled and inadequate. It made her mad, but it hurt as well. She had gone out of her way to make sure that she was seen as a person who could function despite the obvious obstacles she faced, but Edward seemed incapable of accepting that.

He came over to the bed and sat beside her. His hip brushed hers as he settled himself on the mattress, and she felt a jarring sensation of awareness rush up her body. She gulped and closed her eyes. He was too close and what made it even harder was the fact that he was in her bedroom, on her bed. All she had to do was reach out and touch him.

"Bella, I want to apologise." he pleaded, "I never meant to make you feel…" He tried to find the right words to finish his sentence, but Bella beat him to it.

"Like an invalid?" she snapped, giving him a side look and felt a perverted sense of satisfaction when the tips of his ears turned red. "Or a baby? Which one is it?"

He cleared his throat. "Uh….both. I need you to understand something, please look at me,"

Bella reluctantly flipped over onto her left side and gave him her undivided attention. He seemed to be having an internal battle of some sort and suddenly, the redness spread from his ears to his neck. He ran his fingers through his hair and the top of it stood on end briefly.

"Well…." She prompted. She expected him to further argue his case as to why he felt she needed to be watched over, but what he said next stunned her.

"Bella, I care about you – perhaps more than I should, and sometimes that can make me a bit overbearing," he whispered, "It's sort of like Emmett, but a softer version. You have no idea how hard it was for me to watch you almost die. I had to sit there everyday and wonder if every time you drew a breath, if it would be your last. I felt so helpless. I couldn't protect you from anything and most definitely I couldn't protect you from death. I don't want to be put in that position again. If I can do something to protect you, please let me."

He looked so uncomfortable by his admission that all Bella could do was take his hand in hers, and nod her head in consent. She was completely speechless. He laced his fingers through hers and squeezed as hard as he could without hurting her.

"And when I look at you, I don't see a child, I see a woman – a beautiful one, okay?" His voice was quiet – almost non-existent when he said this, and Bella felt something flutter excitedly inside her chest.

"You do?" she croaked, feeling hope blossom inside her. What exactly was he telling her? That maybe he felt something more than friendship for her?

He gave her the benefit of his beautiful, crooked smile and tucked a stray lock of hair into her messy ponytail. "Of course, I've always seen that. You've always been my strong, beautiful friend and nothing about that will ever change."

Bella felt hope fizzle and die inside her like a candle caught in a sudden shower of rain. _Friend_ - there was that word again; coupled with his declaration that their current status would never change, the disappointment she felt was almost too much. She gave him a weak, watery smile and felt her eyes become moist. Oh Lord, now was not the time for the water works to begin. He would really wonder what was wrong with her and in her current frame of mind, she might blurt out something that was embarrassing to them both.

"I've got something for you," he said suddenly looking quite pleased with himself. "Be right back." He dropped her hand and disappeared through the door.

Bella fell back on the bed and rubbed her eyes in an attempt to dry any moisture present before his return. She sniffed and sighed dejectedly. An almost hysterical giggle escaped her lips and she bit her lip to quiet the sound. She had almost thought that things were going to change between them – that maybe when he looked at her he saw her - really saw her, but that was not to be. All he saw when he looked at her was his beautiful, damaged….friend. _Wow, what an honour,_ she thought bitterly staring up at the ceiling.

As quickly as he had disappeared, he reappeared again, but this time he held a white, medium sized bag in his hand with the logo of a popular electronics store embossed on the side. He reclaimed his seat beside her and held out the bag to her. She sat up and reluctantly took it from him.

"What's this?" she asked, disapproval in her tone.

"Something to occupy your time while you're here next week," he explained, hoping she wouldn't be too mad. He had seen her reaction today when he had bought the books for her and he would have thought twice about giving her the gift, had he not already purchased it. "Open it."

"Edward," she groaned, and grudgingly shoving her hand inside the bag, pulled out a medium sized, black box. The picture displayed on its cover was of an Apple iPhone 3G S cell phone. Despite the fact that she felt uncomfortable being the recipient of gifts, she was excited as well. She had briefly read the reviews on this phone and knew it had been had been released a few days before. It was fabulous. She quickly opened the box, and extracting the device from its cushioned cradle, eagerly inspected it. It was small, flat and black, and not as heavy as she had first anticipated.

Edward took the phone from her hands and switched it on. Immediately the Apple logo was displayed on the screen, and she scooted closer in order to get a closer look. Various icons appeared on the screen and she watched in awe as he tapped one of them with the tip of his index finger. The icon disappeared and was replaced by a webpage.

"Touch screen," he explained when Bella drew in a breath of wonder. "It's an iPod as well, so you can listen to your music."

"Wow! What else can it do?" she asked, almost bouncing up and down in excitement. The earlier tension between them had disappeared, and Edward chuckled quietly at Bella's almost childlike fascination with the phone. He reached over, took the instruction booklet from the box and handed it to her.

"You're not a baby," he teased, tugging the end of her ponytail. "Read the book and find out."

Bella stuck out her tongue at him and he laughed loudly. "Not fair," she mumbled, pouting.

Edward's lips relaxed into a wide grin. "I never professed to be a _'fair'_ person," he corrected. "I've programmed Emmett's, Dad's, Mom's, Alice's and even Rose's numbers into your address book, so if you need anyone you can call."

"What about yours?" she questioned, taking the phone from his hands and using the tip of her finger, mimicked his earlier action. The names scrolled up the screen until she saw his name displayed – it simply read _'Ed'_.

"Ed?" she asked, wrinkling her nose in distaste. "Sounds like the name of a horse."

Edward snorted. "Well it's _your_ nickname. You used to call me that when I pissed your off – which was pretty often."

Bella gave him a superior look and raised an eyebrow. "I guess I can see why. You can be pretty damn annoying when you want to be." She murmured starting into his eyes. He stared back for a few seconds, blinked and then looked away.

Was it his imagination or did the temperature in the room just spiral out of control? The air felt humid and he felt a cool sheen of perspiration coat his skin. She was so close to him….maybe too close. He could feel her sweet breath on his cheek and unwillingly, he became even more aroused. God help him! Since when did someone breathing on you, turn you on to the point where the very hair on your body stood on end? The answer to his question – ever since he had met Isabella Swan. No other woman on the planet had ever affected him with this level of potency. He had to put some distance between them before he gave into his male urges and ruined their newfound friendship.

He scooted towards the end of the bed, quickly stood up, and took about two steps back and away from the bed. She looked startled by his sudden departure and for a brief moment, he saw a flash of disappointment in her eyes. Wondering if his eyes were playing tricks on him, he blinked again and when he opened his eyes, the look was gone – only to be replaced by a blank stare.

"You need to get some rest," he advised, clearing his throat. He took another step backward towards the door – his only means of salvation. "Tomorrow's going to be a long day."

She looked flustered and puzzled. "Why?"

"We have to go over to my parents. Dad has some work for Emmett and me to do," he explained, his hand firmly grasping the smooth, polished surface of the doorknob. It felt cool again his heated skin and he knew as soon as he escaped, he was going to take a cold shower – a very long one. Her eyes drifted to his hand on the doorknob and she frowned. "I thought you might like to get out of the house and spend sometime with Mom and Rose – that is if you want to. They're looking forward to seeing you again."

She took her finger and traced a line around the outside of one of the geometrical designs on the brightly patterned quilt. She didn't want him to leave, but she had no right to ask him to stay. It was obvious he wanted to put as much distance between them as possible, and while that was probably an excellent idea, it also hurt as well. She ducked her head in an attempt to hide her face, and wished she had left her hair down – at least she would have had something to hide behind. She knew he was waiting for an answer, but she knew if she spoke her voice would betray her – all she felt would be heard and if he asked – and she knew he would, she wouldn't have the strength to lie to him. She squeezed her eyes shut and sighed. She was so incredible tired – tired of all the pretenses and most of all, tired of fighting her growing feelings. That, coupled with the fact that she was still not sleeping well made her an easy target for all the stray emotions out there.

"Bella…" His voice sounded uncertain – uneasy.

"Um....sure," she stammered, her eyes now focused on him instead of the bed, "Sounds like a great idea."

He smiled, a dimple showing in his left cheek, and her heart gave one erratic beat, then another, and continued with its normal rhythm. Sometimes it was so easy to please him, and she wondered if he was always like this or if his reactions were tempered based on the current situation.

"They'll like that," He then pointed to her present. "Don't let that keep you up too late." And with those last words, he left, closing the door softly behind him.

Bella released the breath she had been holding, and fell back against the stack of pillows arranged at the head of the bed. She rubbed her hands across her face and released a frustrated, almost angry sounding groan. This was stupid, stupid, stupid – she should pack her things and move back to Canada and save herself all the grief she suspected was awaiting her. However, she held onto the hope that somehow she would find a way to deal with this, and failing that, Alice was arriving in a week and would provide a much needed distraction for a while.

She felt around on the bed blindly, her eyes directed upwards towards the ceiling, and when her hand located the phone, she pulled it to her. She was exploring its various features when it suddenly hit her that she had never actually thanked Edward for her gift. She sat up in the bed, contemplating if she should torture herself further by going to find him to express her gratitude, or just let it wait until tomorrow. She didn't want to appear to be unappreciative of his kind gesture, but neither did she want to face him right now – her emotional fortitude was at an all time low.

She was still in the throes of indecision when the phone beeped and vibrated in her hand. She gave a squeak of fright and it fell from her hand and onto her lap, face down. She quickly rescued it and turned the screen towards her. There was a message waiting and she tapped the envelope with her finger. Immediately a message popped up – a message comprising of three words, '_You are welcome'_. She giggled when she realised the message was from Edward or 'Ed' as was displayed on the screen. It was just like him to anticipate her next move. He seemed to almost always know what was going on inside her head, but then again, it seemed like Edward Cullen knew her better than anyone else in this world and what exactly that meant was still a mystery; a mystery that if it was the last thing she did, she intended to solve.


	16. Never Let Go

**A/N: Welcome back to another chapter. My apologies for taking so long to update, but when you read the chapter you'll see why. This one is a really long one – the longest I have written in this story to date, and I wanted to get it just right. It has also been divided into 3 sections with 3 different POVs. **

**I want to devote this entire chapter to **ryuurei01**, whose super reviews have kept me on my toes and brought warmth to my heart. Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!! You have done wonders for my self esteem LOL. Also my apologies for keeping you up at night, but I hope it was worth it.**

**I also want to thank my usual confident boosting crew - **malana09, dreampills (**yes, I know it was you who sent out those little assassins – they showed up at my house at 3am, but I sent them packing LOL),** magan bagan, vicki86 **and last but not least my two newest reviewers** TheNuge **and** IzzyBella **(I hope you see this as I realise there is no link available for me to contact you. **

**This chapter is related to a promise I made in my A/N of Chapter 12, so I hope you like it. I enjoyed writing it and seeing through one particular character's eyes – let's see if you can guess who that is. I sometimes think my personality is a bit like this person lol.**

**The song for this chapter is **_'You' _**by **_Rascal Flatts_**, but only applies to section 2 of the story. Enjoy!!! **

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**Chapter 15 – Never Let Go**

Esme handed the bowl of red and green shredded cabbage and carrots to Bella, and wiped her hands on the front of her red apron. Bella resisted the urge to laugh out loud again at the print displayed on its front. It read in bold, white letters, **"KISS THE COOK…..OR ELSE!!!"** and the picture of a rather threatening fist was positioned beneath the **"ELSE"**. Esme had told her as she had slipped it over her head and tied the straps around her waist, that Carlisle had given it to her as a joke about two years ago, and she enjoyed people's reactions whenever she wore it.

Bella had been in the Cullen household for about three and a half hours, arriving shortly after 9:00am, and she felt incredibly at ease. On the drive over, she had wondered if she would have to pretend to be comfortable around Edward's family, but her worries were for naught. As soon as she and Edward had stepped through the door, Esme had claimed her, and ordered Edward to go outside and help his brother before he hurt himself. Today's project at the house was to refit and change the boards on the deck which partially overlooked Archer's Lake. The view was exquisite and the Photographer in her just wanted to go crazy. She wished that she had travelled with one of her cameras – cameras which remained packed in a box in a room located just off Edward's garage.

Edward had explained that it had once been used as her dark room, but as she had left, it had been changed into a storage room. She had instantly queried why she had had a darkroom at his place, and he had answered in an off-handed manner, that he had had the extra room and it was more convenient at the time. Against her better judgment, she had left it at that, but she had had to try very hard not to succumb to the urge to poke and pry. In the end, they had agreed to clean the room out the following day and set up her equipment. She was really looking forward to re-acquainting herself with the various pieces of equipment again. Hopefully, getting back on that particular horse would be similar to cooking – easy.

As Esme continued to bustle around the kitchen, Bella opened the refrigerator and checked on the steaks she had put to marinate in a large zip-lock bag. She turned them over so both sides would absorb the liquid equally, and then checked on the no bake cake she had prepared for dessert. To her relief, it had set perfectly, and she grabbed the container of fresh strawberries and took them to the counter. She was in the process of adding the Miracle Whip and bacon bits to the coleslaw, when she realised the room was filled with silence. She turned to find Esme watching her with a delighted expression on her face, and tears in her eyes.

"Are you alright?" Bella asked in alarm and placing the spoon on the counter, hurried over to the woman.

Esme nodded her head, unable to speak, and continued to smile. This was like old times – the boys off doing whatever it was they had decided to tackle, and the two of them in the kitchen working in unison. They had worked together like a well-oiled machine, and Esme had to admit that she missed that. It was only now she realised how very much she had missed Bella. Her house now felt like a home – her family was once again complete.

Still incapable of speech – the emotions too much, she grabbed Bell and hugged her tightly. Bella's arms hung limply at her sides for a few seconds, but after recovering from her initial shock, she hugged her back. They stood like that for a few seconds and then Esme pulled away, placed her hands on Bella's shoulders and held her at arms length.

"Thank you Bella," she whispered, a single tear sliding down her cheek. "Thank you so very much."

Bella looked confused. "For what? Are you sure you're okay? Should I get Carlisle?"

Esme shook her head and laughed. "No, no, I'm fine. Actually, I'm better than that. I just wanted to thank you for being here. I've missed you."

"Oh, okay." Bella said and smiled. Esme's words brought warmness to her heart, and she wished she could return the sentiments, but she couldn't – not yet. From the moment she had stepped into the house, she had felt an emotional bond with the woman. The feeling was similar to what Bella suspected she would have felt for her own mother, had she lived.

During one of their many conversations, Edward had told her that she had lost both her parents – her mother Renee to cancer a few years ago, and her father Phil to a drunk driver when she was four. While her mother had died in Florida, her father had been killed in the town she had grown up in. The town of Forks was located not that far away from Bainbridge – approximately a three hour trip by car, and Bella intended to visit when she felt more settled, and could travel comfortably by herself.

Their bonding moment was interrupted, when Rosalie strolled in through the backdoor with an unopened bottle of water in her hand. She had taken bottles of water outside for the men, as they had been hard at work all morning, and had yet to take a break. She came to an abrupt halt when she realised she had walked in on something.

"What's going on?" she asked, giving Esme and Bella a curious look. She went over to the fridge, opened the door and placed the bottle inside.

Esme smiled at her future daughter-in-law. "Nothing, I was just telling Bella how good it is to have her back."

A glimmer of something passed across Rosalie's beautiful face, but was quickly gone before Bella could identify it. If she could put a name to it, she would have said it looked like envy or resentment. However, that was impossible as there was nothing about Bella that Rosalie should envy or resent. After all, they had just met each other two days ago and had not interacted again until today.

Bella felt a bit uncomfortable under Rosalie's scrutinizing look, and she was relieved when Esme dropped her hands from her shoulders, and turned her attention to the other woman, obviously expecting a response to her statement.

"Yes," Rosalie said thoughtfully, a small frown marring her otherwise smooth forehead. "It is good to have her back."

_There it was again_, Bella thought. It was almost as if she had done something that she was totally unaware of. When she had arrived, she had thought it was her imagination, but while Rosalie was polite and even went as far as to include her in the conversation, it seemed as if she was being purposely distant – almost as if she resented her. It also seemed as if she was waiting on something, and that alone made her feel intensely edgy, and uncomfortable. She hoped Rosalie did not think she had returned to replace her within the Cullen family, as the last thing on her mind was usurping anyone's position.

"So are the men properly watered?" Esme asked, returning to the task of preparing the potato salad.

Rosalie hoisted herself up onto one of the stools and crossed her legs at the knee. Her incredibly long and tanned model's legs were encased in a pair of white shorts, and red and white Nike sneakers. Bella self consciously looked down at her own pale, not so special legs, and immediately felt inadequate. Standing beside Rosalie was one way to send your self confidence into a downward spiral.

"For now, but you know Emmett, he's complaining that he's hungry, and something about how unfair we are just feeding him water as if he's on a diet," Rosalie said, a tender smile on her face when she spoke about Emmett. "Wish there was a way to put his fat mouth on a diet."

Bella giggled and this earned her a surprised look from Rosalie. After that, Esme joined in and what little tension present in the room, dissipated.

"Trust Emmett to complain about food, or lack thereof," Esme said as she moved toward the back door. She stuck her head outside. "Just so you know, the steaks should be ready soon, so certain people who want to eat should get the grill going." As she yelled this, Bella wondered if her voice would carry over the distance, but she needn't have worried, as Emmett yelled back a reply in an indignant and offended voice.

"Already on it; What do you think I am? A novice?"

Esme shook her head and closed the door. Bella returned to her chore of finishing the coleslaw, and then turned her attention to the strawberries she had abandoned in her haste to ensure Esme's health. She turned them out on the counter and began to twist the green tops off.

As she disconnected the heads, movement outside the window caught her attention, and her eyes were drawn to the three men on the deck at the opposite end of the wide lawn. Emmett was busy gathering the tools and placing them in a medium sized, black and yellow tool box, while Carlisle was handing something to Edward.

Her eyes fastened on Edward and she felt her lips form into a tiny smile. Edward, whose attention was focused on the deck in front of him, was on bended knee. He had stripped down to his black, surfer shorts and sneakers, and was busy hammering away at a loose board. He reached up, took something from Carlisle's hand, reached into a section of the black took belt which was slung around his waist, and continued to nail the board in place. Bella could hear the muffled 'thump' of the hammer as the metal head met wood, and she sighed. He was absolutely gorgeous.

From where she stood, she could see his muscles flex with each downward sweep of the hammer, and the sun glinted off his perspiration coated back. She saw the play of muscle and sinew move smoothly underneath his skin, and she felt her mouth go dry.

Giving the board one last knock, he straightened and swinging the hammer in his hand, pointed something out to his father and Emmett. Carlisle made a comment, and Emmett came over to take a look at whatever it was that had suddenly gained their attention. As they held discussions, Edward grabbed his t-shirt from the rail and pulled it across his damp face and hair. It was at this time that Emmett took the opportunity to sneak up behind his brother, and tugged the shirt down over his head – effectively blinding him. He stuck out a hand to grab his brother, but Emmett having the advantage of sight, quickly danced out of the way. Carlisle threw his head back and roared with laughter at the antics of his two sons. Edward eventually managed to yank the shirt from his head, and charged after his brother, who by this time was halfway up the lawn.

Realising they were headed her way and would catch her watching them through the window, she quickly averted her eyes. However, they stopped shortly before they reached the house, and began to wrestle with each other. Edward grabbed Emmett around the neck, and wrapped his right leg around his brother's lower leg. This motion sent both of them tumbling to the ground in a jumble of arms and legs. She heard a muffled _'ou_ch' and a _'watch were you put you damn elbow'_, and a couple of other expletives before all went silent.

Feeling eyes upon her, she looked across the room and caught Rosalie watching her, a speculative look on her face. She was tempted to ask her outright what the problem was, but thinking that might be considered rude, decided to keep her mouth closed. She suspected she would have another opportunity to bring the subject up at a later date.

The back door suddenly burst opened, and Emmett and Edward staggered in, each trying to get the bits and pieces of grass off their clothing - or in Edward's case, his bare skin.

Esme quickly came over to them and began pushing them outside. "Get out! Leave your grass and dirt outside." They both protested loudly, and before he stumbled out through the door, Edward's eyes caught Bella's, and he grinned. "Now!"

Esme's voice was firm, and Emmett tried to duck to a side to get away from his mother's grasping hands. However, she held on tight and using her shoulder as leverage, she positioned it into the center of his chest, and shoved hard. He off balanced, stumbled outside, and before he could recover, she quickly slammed the door in his face, and clicked the lock in place.

He let out a howl of pretend rage and pounded on the door – the panes vibrated nosily. When Esme refused to budge from her position, he began to plead with Rosalie through the glass panes.

"C'mon Babe, let me in," he pleaded as Edward looked on, his shoulders shaking with laughter. "I'll make it worth your while." He winked at her and wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

"Emmett Alexander Cullen!" Rosalie shrieked, clearly mortified at her fiancé's openly, blatant sexual innuendo. "Have you no respect? Behave yourself." Rosalie was blushing furiously, but one could tell she was trying hard – and obviously failing, to stop the smile which was trying to break through.

"C'mon Romeo," Edward said grabbing the back of Emmett's shirt, and hauling him away toward the opposite side of the house. "Let's get cleaned up; otherwise she'll never let us inside. And for the record, Rosalie's probably going to kill you in your sleep tonight."

Emmett gave Rosalie a worried look before disappearing out of sight. The three women in the kitchen erupted into a fit of giggles and Bella had to hold her aching sides.

"That son of yours is so disgusting." Rosalie complained wiping her streaming eyes with her hand, the plastic bracelets she wore jingled merrily.

Esme tried to look offended, but just could not seem to get her face to co-operate. "My son?" she said between giggles, "You mean your fiancé. I raised that boy better, but apparently nothing I taught him seems to have stuck inside that hard head of his. Poor Bella, you must be scandalized."

Bella started slightly at having been brought into the conversation so suddenly, but she quickly recovered and grinned. She drew in a deep breath and shook her head.

"Not to worry, I've got a strong stomach, and I suspect I'll need to have one if I'm to be around Emmett for any period of time." She grinned, slicing into one of the large, red berries.

Rosalie gave a rather unladylike snort. "I'm not sure if a thing is possible. I've been around him for a while, and my poor stomach still has not become accustomed to the bilge that can sometimes come out of his mouth."

Esme laughed and gave Rosalie a knowing look over her right shoulder. "Bilge or not, you still love him dearly."

Rosalie smiled and a dreamy, contented look came across her face. "Yes, and I wouldn't have it any other way."

Her smile was suddenly interrupted by a small frown, and her glowing skin lost its colour, turning a sickly shade of gray. Esme quickly filled a glass with water from the faucet and pushed it into Rosalie's trembling hand. Rosalie gave her a weak, but grateful smile and took a few sips from the glass. She took a few deep breaths and the colour began to slowly return to her cheeks.

"Rosalie, this has gone on long enough," Esme admonished, her voice filled with concern, "At least let Carlisle exam you – see if you have anything to worry about."

Rosalie shook her head vehemently, and when she spoke, her voice, even though it trembled, was firm. "No, I don't want Emmett to worry - you know if he found out that Carlisle examined me that's exactly what he would do."

Esme nodded in understanding. "Yes, but eventually you're going to have to tell him. I can't believe he hasn't noticed – you live together for God's sake."

"I don't think he has – he would have said something if he had." Rosalie said, but she seemed uncertain, and it was then that she seemed to remember that they weren't alone, and Bella was in the room. She looked embarrassed and upset at having an audience view her in a moment of weakness.

Bella gave her an apologetic look and began to move discretely towards the entryway. She wished she had quietly left the room when she had had the opportunity – they had been so deep in conversation that had she slipped away, they would never have noticed. No one liked to have their weaknesses and faults on display for everyone to see, especially if one of the people was a stranger, and not one you particularly fancied.

"It's okay Bella," Esme said when she realised Bella's intent. "You're family, but whatever you overhead stays in this room, okay?"

Bella felt her face burn with shame, and she quickly nodded. "Of course, I-I'd never say anything. It's not my place or my business."

Rosalie gave her a small, but reserved smile. "Thanks." She then turned to Esme once again. "It might be nothing – I've been working really hard on the three showings I have in the next couple of weeks, and not eating as I should. Needless to say my sleep habits have also gone the same way as my appetite – south."

Rosalie was a very successful Fashion Designer with a popular, but exclusive line of clothing, which she sold in her stores located in Seattle, New York and Los Angeles. Bella was yet to visit the website, but from Rosalie's sense of style, she expected the clothing would be fantastic. Along with her beauty, Rosalie was obviously very talented.

"So Bella, I understand that you'll be free most of next week." Esme said as she handed Rosalie the ingredients to make the lemon iced tea. From what Bella had gathered, Rosalie was not much of a cook, but that was no bother since she and Esme had had fun preparing the dishes they had made so far.

She nodded and continued preparing the fruit. "Yes, Edward has to go back out to work, so I'll be alone." As she said the words, she heard her voice tremble, and realised just how much being alone scared her.

Esme smiled at her, a knowing look in her eye. "Yes, he told me, and I have a proposal for you,"

Rosalie and Bella both gave the woman surprised looks, as they tried to figure out what exactly it was that Esme had up her sleeve. It was obviously something she had put a great amount of thought into, as she appeared resolved.

"I have been commissioned by a client to renovate their residence here, and I wanted to have some digital images created so that I can present my ideas to them. I would really appreciate your help with that aspect." Esme said, her voice excited at the prospect of her upcoming project.

Bella looked uncertain. She wanted to help Esme, but she wasn't sure she could. The only time she had picked up a camera recently was to pack them away to be shipped here. This project seemed really important to Esme, and Bella wondered if she realised what she was asking. It was one thing to fumble around when it was something for yourself, but when other people and their livelihoods were involved, it was an entirely different matter.

"I-I'm not sure…" she said, feeling guilty when Esme's face fell unhappily. "I haven't picked up a camera since my accident. I'm not sure I would even know where to begin."

Esme gave her a confident and reassuring smile. "It's okay Bella. We'll help you," She seemed extremely animated at the prospect of assisting Bella. "I'll even pay you, how does that sound?"

Bella looked horrified and insulted. "Pay me? What? No!" The knife clattered to the counter-top and she crossed her arms across her chest. "Absolutely not, if I do this, I do it as a favour.

After all the Cullens had done for her – gone out of their way to make her feel welcomed, like one of the family, she couldn't accept money from them. How could Esme even think she would do that? Especially with something, which involved so many uncertainties, and could end badly. She could pick up a camera and realise that that part of her life had been erased – permanently.

However, she was quickly beginning to warm up to the prospect of having something to do during the coming week – something that would take her out of that big empty house, and distract her from her fears and insecurities.

She was mulling over the positives of Esme's suggestion, when a sudden, disturbing thought came to her. Didn't this entire thing seem a little too convenient? A little too good to be true, and you know what they said about if something seems too good to be true – it usually is.

"Esme, can I ask you something?" she asked, her voice laced with suspicion. She saw Rosalie give her a curious look, and then her mouth twitched slightly – almost as if she was trying to hide a smile.

Esme nodded. "Of course you can."

She drew in a deep breath, all the while racking her brain to find a way of asking this particular question without sounding rude. "Does Edward know about this?"

Esme looked confused for a few seconds, but then comprehension dawned. She smiled. "What you really want to know is if he put me up to this?"

Bella felt her face grow warm, and she felt relief that Esme seemed more amused than angry by her question. "W-well, yes."

"That's a valid question," Esme said, still smiling. "And the answer is 'no'. I think if he did, he would try to get me to change my mind. He is very protective of you."

Bella felt warmth infuse her entire body at Esme's last statement. She liked being on the receiving end of Edward's concern – even if all he saw in her was a friend.

"Yes, I know," she said softly, all the while thinking about Edward. She shook her head and brought her mind back to the conversation at hand. She turned to Esme and gave her a brilliant smile. "Okay, I'll do it, but on one condition-"

Esme clasped her hands together and smiled. "And that would be?"

Bella grinned. "No more talk of payment, okay?"

Esme nodded vigorously and returned Bella's grin. "Deal."

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With a flick of his wrist, Emmett expertly flipped the steaks onto their opposite sides. The juices and what little fat found in between the lean cuts, dropped and sizzled on the hickory pellets. Small puffs of fragrant smoke arose, but were quickly carried away by the wind towards the lake. He decided that he would give them five to eight minutes more, and then remove them from the heat, to rest for a further five minutes. He took the brush which was dipped in what he liked to consider his 'secret' sauce, and brushed it onto the char grilled sides. He then pulled down the cover of the grill and stepped back.

He turned towards the house, his eyes searching for one particular person – Rosalie. She was sitting on one of the wicker chaise lounges with a glass of water cradled between her palms, and carrying on a conversation with his mother and Bella. The two women were setting the table on the back patio with the various dishes they had prepared earlier. Rose's skin looked a bit pale and for a brief moment, Emmett felt panic assail him. As if feeling his eyes on her, she smiled and waved at him. He waved back, a fake smile plastered on his face. He wasn't sure how much longer he could keep up with this charade. Something was wrong with his Rose and she wasn't telling him – neither was she admitting that there even was a problem.

He had suspected something was wrong two weeks ago, when for three nights in a row, Rosalie had come home from work, and gone directly to bed. One day, he could put that down to the stress of her job. He knew she was working really hard on her upcoming shows, and the task of trying to put together three shows, in three different locations had to be taking its toll, but for three days straight? Now that was highly unusual. Rosalie was the type of person who thrived on making things happen despite sometimes ridiculous deadlines. It was this fact alone which made her so resilient, and not bound by the physical limitations others would find themselves tied too.

They had an evening ritual which they rarely deviated from. They would come home together – that is if he worked in the city that day, talk a bit about their day and then have dinner. After dinner, they would go for a walk or a jog – whichever they felt like doing and depending on the weather, return home, take a shower and spend the rest of the evening wrapped up in each other. Even if it was to watch one of the ridiculous sitcoms he liked so much, but Rosalie hated. The object was to be together, as both their jobs were hectic, and sometimes they weren't even in the same state for days at a time. So when she had disappeared for those nights, Emmett's instincts had immediately gone on alert, and told him something was definitely wrong.

He had asked her the morning after the third night if everything was okay, and she had said yes. However, he realised that she had refused to meet his eyes, and this set off another round of alarm bells. Never had Rosalie refused to look him in the eye – not even when she was mad at him.

What if his beautiful Rose was seriously ill? What would he do? How would he handle it? He didn't know what he would do if he lost her. She had become the very air he breathed, and he loved her with a passion he never thought was possible for him. He had had many girlfriends in his life, but none of them had taken hold of his soul the way Rose had. He could still remember vividly, the first time he had laid eyes on her.

His partner and friend Danny Quinn had told him that they had a potential new client, who wanted them to create a software program for her business. Emmett had told him to go ahead and see where it led. Any business was good business, and to be honest, he was up to his neck in a program he was creating for the Department of Defense. He would not have had the time to deal with some fickle, middle-aged, schoolmarm, who had a vague idea, but not a clue as to what she wanted.

The morning of the meeting, disaster – or so he had thought at the time, had struck. Danny, whilst on his way to work on his bicycle – or in his opinion 'Death Trap', had had the misfortune of being struck by a door. A door, which was being transported across the street by two delivery men, who had failed to make sure the area was completely clear, before stepping off the curb and into the street.

Danny had swung around the corner and rode smack into the door. He had been immediately knocked unconscious, fallen and broken his arm in two places. What had made the situation even worst, was that both men had freaked out as they thought they had killed him, screamed like a bunch of little girls – according to eye-witness reports, and dropped the heavy wooden door. It had missed crushing Danny by inches, but his bike was not quite so lucky – it had been flattened.

Emmett smiled at the memory, checked of the steaks and continued to stare out across the lake. When he had visited Danny later that day in the hospital where he was being kept overnight for observation, he had been extremely upset. Emmett had assumed he was annoyed at having been knocked out, and at the resulting injuries, but no! He was mad that his bike had been according to him, "Killed in cold blood".

Of course, before he had had all the details of the accident, or even heard that Danny had been hurt, he had wondered where on Earth he was, and if he remembered that he had scheduled a meeting. All calls to his cell phone had gone unanswered, and it was with a heavy heart and a pissed off disposition, that he had left his office and went to meet with Danny's appointment. He had almost asked one of his other Engineers to step in for him, but he knew this would have been unacceptable. In addition to him being the most experienced person present, he was also one of the owners, and his reputation and that of the company, stood to receive a severe blow if an inexperienced staff member bungled the entire thing.

He had reached the conference room, and expected to find a middle-aged woman, with a severe hairstyle and an even more severe personality. But nothing had prepared him for what awaited him on the opposite side of those doors.

His first glimpse of Rose had left him stunned; his second, he had had to pick his jaw up from off the floor. Her honey blonde hair had been pulled back into a messy, but sexy bun at the nape of her neck. She wore white wide legged slacks with a multi-hued scarf for a belt and a coral coloured shirt, which had made her skin glow. He had had to stop himself from reaching out to touch her to see if she was real – she was an angel. She had been staring out through the window, but had turned at the sound of his presence in the room. If he thought she was beautiful before, he had been mistaken. She had smiled, and he had lost his heart right there and then. And when she had spoken to him for the first time, she had only said four words, _"Hi, I'm Rosalie Hale,"_, but he had felt as if the bells of heaven had chimed.

It had taken him an infinitesimal amount of time to visibly recover, but inside, he was still shaking. He knew the only thing that would save him was if she said something incredibly dumb during the meeting, and turned him off. A part of him had hoped she would, because he knew he was in trouble – deep trouble.

However, as the meeting progressed and they discussed her work and what she hoped to achieve by incorporating the program into her business, he realised in addition to her beauty, she was highly intelligent, strong and ambitious. She had moved to Seattle a few months before from New York, and prior to that L.A. She had opened a store in each city, but because of the distance and her desire not to have to fly back and forth, she needed a business tool that would eliminate the need to travel so much, but keep her in constant contact with the other two outlets. Some of the other features she had specified, was the ability to automatically track her inventory, order supplies from one central location, but have the deliveries made to which ever outlet she choose, organise her yearly shows, and all the other aspects needed to make her business more efficient and easier to manage.

All through the meeting, Emmett had racked his brain on how to ask Rosalie out on a date. He suspected she was going to be one hard nut to crack, and boy did she prove him right. He had asked her out a total of eight times over a period of three months before she finally given in and said, 'yes'. He suspected a part of her did it to stop him from bugging her, along with the fact that she had become allergic to all the flowers he had kept sending her, in an attempt to soften her up. Their first date had been one of the happiest days of his life – next to her actually saying yes, and her eventually agreeing to marry him.

After the date, they had begun to spend more and more time together, and before they both knew it, they had become a couple. But before they had reached that stage, Rose had run from him – literally.

He had awoken one morning, stretched out his hand to take her in his arms, and found the bed empty. He had searched the entire apartment and found no sign of her. Finally, he had gone back into the bedroom and found a note tacked to his pants with an enormous hat pin. In the note, she had explained that all this was moving too fast for her, and it was better if they stopped seeing each other. He should leave his key on the kitchen table, and not to bother sticking around because she was moving back to L.A.

"_The hell she was!"_ he had bellowed, and began to frantically drag on his clothing. _"Why that yellow bellied, little coward, "_ he had thought furiously as he had driven home. He had spent approximately 30 minutes there, shoving clothing and toiletries into a bag, before making another trip across the Puget Sound, and to the airport. He had caught the next flight out of Seattle, and headed towards the City of Angels with the intention of bringing his woman home.

For the entire 2 ½ hour trip, his mind had been in turmoil. He knew Rose was the only woman for him. She challenged him at every turn and in a sadistic way, he enjoyed it. He had never felt so alive or been so in love in his entire life, and he would be damned if he allowed her to throw it all away because she was scared. He knew her last relationship had ended badly, and therefore she was unwilling to put her heart out there in fear it would be crushed, but running away was not the answer. What they had was special – unique, and he knew she felt the same.

It was only when he had stepped out of the airport and into the oppressive heat, that he realised he had no idea where to begin looking for her. It wasn't as if Los Angeles was two or three blocks, it was the second largest city in the USA, and here he was without a clue. Talk about going off half cocked. In the end, he had swallowed his pride, called Edward and begged for his help. He had given it, but not before he had had to endure being laughed at for an entire five minutes, and then teased unmercifully. He had expected that would happen, but his need to get Rose back far outweighed the urge to tell his brother where to go, so he had suffered in silence.

In the end, Edward had sent him a text with the address of Rosalie's store, as well as a telephone number. Armed with this information, he hailed a cab and quickly headed downtown.

To his disappointment, one of the assistants told him that Rosalie was not there at the time, and wouldn't be expected anytime soon. As he had stood there feeling as if his last chance was slowly slipping away, and wondering what his next move was going to be, the girl had smiled at him and gestured for him to come closer. Obviously she had sensed his desperation and felt sorry for him.

She had looked around as if to make sure no one was within hearing distance, and then told him if he really needed to see Rose he should come back the following night around 10:00pm. There was a party being held then and since she was in town, she would be attending. The dress code was black tie and it was by _'Invitation Only'_. She then slipped him an invitation card, and gave him another big smile. He still sent her a bouquet of flowers every year as a thank you.

When he arrived the following night at the designated time, the party was in full swing and people were busy socializing, drinking champagne and eating hors d'oeuvres. He could understand why the party was by _'Invitation Only'_. He had seen quite a few celebrities in the crowd and to be honest, he felt uncomfortable. This side of Rosalie's life was one he was unaccustomed to, and he wondered if she was really out of his league. Maybe he should just quit now and head home.

_No! He was just as good, or even better than some of the Yahoos here._ He said firmly to himself, and to calm his frazzled nerves, grabbed a flute of champagne and downed it in one gulp.

He then saw her through the crowd, and she had just about taken his breath away. She was wearing a shimmery, gold coloured knee length dress with a V-shaped neckline. The fluid material hugged her curves in all the right places and Emmett had felt his body react fervently. She then turned her back to him, and he felt as if someone had punched him in the gut. While the front of the dress covered her, the back plunged down to her waist exposing her beautiful, glowing skin. Skin that less than forty-eight hours before, he had ran his lips over.

A violent streak of jealously ripped through him when he realised she was not alone. A man, who looked disturbingly like a guy he had seen in a recent Box Office hit, was standing beside her, his hand on the small of her back. He was actually touching her bare flesh, and Emmett's vision turned red. Some man was touching his property, and he was having none of that.

As he marched across the room towards the small group of people, he grabbed another passing glass of bubbly, and hastily took a sip to calm himself down. Upon reaching his quarry, he put his arm around her waist, effectively knocking Mr Movie Guy's hand from its perch. He plastered a smile on his face, leaned down, planted a kiss on her neck and said, "Sorry I'm late, traffic was murder."

If looks could have killed, he was sure he would have clutched his chest, gone into cardiac arrest, and quickly expired after that. Her initial surprise had quickly given way to murderous, seething rage. He knew the only thing which had stopped her from going off on him right there and then, was the audience – an audience which was watching the exchange with growing interest.

Mr Movie Guy's eyes switched back and forth between the two of them - his mouth slightly ajar. Surprise was written all over his million dollar good looks, and Emmett felt a perverted sense of satisfaction knowing that he had successfully 'marked' his territory.

Rosalie made the necessary introductions – he was a good friend from Seattle, and when enough time had passed that it was polite to be excused, she grabbed his hand and dragged him to a secluded corner. Needless to say Mr Movie Guy had not looked happy.

He would always remember the exact conversation, and sequence of events which followed, because Rose had been so angry. That had turned him on in a major way - she had been all fire and so damn sexy.

"What are you doing here?" she hissed, making sure no one could overhear their conversation. "Didn't you get my letter?"

He cleared his throat. "Yes, I did."

"And?"

"And, what?" He knew he was purposely goading her, but he seemed unable to stop himself.

Rosalie looked irate. "_And, _if you got my letter why are you here?"

"Oh, that," he said dismissively, and looked thoughtful. "I'm here to take you home."

Her mouth fell open at his announcement, and numerous thoughts run through his mind on what exactly he could do to get her to close her mouth. Thoughts that would have made a Nun blush, and immediately banish him straight to the fiery pits of Hell.

"T-take me home? Are you insane Emmett?" she shrieked quietly. A few people turned to stare at them, and Rosalie realizing this, schooled her features into a sea of calm. The spectators soon lost interest when they realised no impending drama would ensue.

Throughout all this, he continued to smile - this disguised the rising panic he felt. "Yes, insanely in love with you, and I'm not letting you go that easily."

His words seemed to take some of the heat out of Rosalie's anger, and a pained look flashed across her face. He took the opportunity to move closer to her, effectively trapping her against the wall - he had no intention of letting her run from him again.

"It's over Emmett," she whispered in a broken voice. "You have to accept that and move on."

"Oh, you mean like you have?" He asked, anger dripping from his voice. When she had looked confused, he gestured across the room towards Mr Movie Guy, who was watching them with growing concern. Emmett figured he had about five minutes before the guy alerted Security, and they dragged him away.

"Thatcher is a good _friend_," she had corrected. "We grew up together."

"Really." He said, disbelief and sarcasm colouring his tone.

That ticked her off even more. "Yes, you idiot. You see the Asian guy standing next to him?" Emmett's eyes moved to the left of the topic of conversation, and he noticed for the first time, another man standing there. The guy was also watching them with a worried expression. "That's his boyfriend."

It took a few seconds for her words to sink in, but when they did, he wanted to shout with joy. So Mr Movie Guy was gay, and there was absolutely nothing going on between him and his woman.

It was then he looked at Rose's face and his happiness evaporated. She had looked really, really mad – so mad in fact, that she was shaking. He raised his hand and tried to touch her cheek, but she slapped it away.

"You need to leave…Now!" she warned and she would have pushed pass him had he not placed his hands on her shoulders, delaying her escape.

Two things then happened simultaneously. Rose's eyes filled with tears, and he saw out of the corner of his eye, Mr Movie Guy talking to a man the size of two line backers, and pointing in his direction. He knew he had to act now as his time had run out.

"Okay, okay, I'll leave – for now, but I need to ask you something first." He said to her, and to her horror, he got down on one knee, dipped his hand into his pants pocket and yanked out the ring he had brought with him from Washington. He fumbled a bit with the small, velvet box because he was so nervous, but eventually, the lid flew open.

By this time, a small crowd had gathered, and Rosalie looked completely mortified at all the unwanted attention. He ignored the audience, and holding the box so she could see the single diamond engagement ring, said the words he had been rehearsing for the past two weeks.

"Rosalie Caroline Hale, I love you, and want to spend the rest of my life making you happy. You're my soul mate - my one true love. Take pity on a fool and marry me, be my wife."

There was silence and a great deal of sniffling across the room, as Emmett and the other party-goers awaited Rosalie's answer. By that time, Mr Movie Guy and the football player moonlighting as Security, had closed the distance and was standing beside him. Both seemed as stunned by his proposition, as the beautiful woman he had just proposed to.

"Rose," he prompted after she continued to stare from the ring to him, and back to the ring again, in silence. It had only been a few seconds since he had uttered the words that would change his life, but it felt like hours.

A variety of emotions moved across Rosalie's face, but the final one which settled was, resignation. It was then that she raised her hand, and before he knew it, her folded fist came towards his face at lightening speed. He heard a loud crack, felt an explosion of pain in his jaw, and then everything mercifully went black.

When he finally came to, he groaned and grabbed his head in agony. He felt as if an entire Mariachi band was performing a free concert inside his head, and the bright light coming from above only increased the tempo and pitch of 'La Cucaracha'. He damned the band and its annoying cockroach song to hell, and denied himself the pleasure or pain, of trying to open his eyes.

"Well, well, Sleeping Beauty finally awakes," an unfamiliar male voice, full of amusement murmured.

His eyes automatically flew open and then immediately slammed shut again. He groaned, and tried to settle his stomach as a wave of nausea slammed into him. The man chuckled, and then he heard a chair being scraped across the floor. The sound seemed to explode in every corner of his head, and he gritted his teeth against the stabbing pain. A short time after that, he felt a glass and a bottle of aspirin being pressed into his hand.

"Go ahead, take them. You're going to need them," the man advised. "Oh, and if you vomit, as much as I love Rose, I am _so_ not cleaning that up."

He vaguely remembered saying something in the region of _"Kiss my ass"_, in an attempt to get the guy to shut up and leave him alone in his pain and quickly growing embarrassment, as some of the night's events came rushing back to him. However, all the guy did was laugh some more.

"As tempting as that sounds, I'm already taken." The man guffawed, and he felt himself being dragged by a not so gentle hand, into a sitting position. He slowly cracked open one eye and looked into the brown eyes of Mr Movie Guy.

"What are you doing here?" Emmett asked, his voice slightly slurred by pain, and the discomfort of suddenly finding himself in an upright position.

The guy gave him his thousand dollar smile. "Making sure you don't drown in your own fluids. Rose would probably kill me if you did. "

At the mention of Rose's name, Emmett's eyes flew fully open, and he quickly scanned the room for any sign of his beloved – no such luck. The only other occupant in the room was Mr Movie Guy, who was watching him with an amused expression on his face.

"Where's Rose?" he demanded of the man who was removing his jacket. He draped it over the back of his chair, and continued to give him that intolerable grin – he was really beginning to get on his last nerve.

"She's downstairs with the doctor."

Emmett immediately panicked, and placing the glass of water a little too forcibly on the floor, attempted to get off the bed. The room swung wildly and he felt himself tilt precariously with it. The pounding in his head increased ten fold, and the contents of his stomach started the slowly climb up his esophagus.

"Whoa there big guy, take it easy." Mr Movie Guy warned, and caught him before he collapsed. He helped him back to the bed, picked up the glass and once again thrust it into his hand. He then took the top off the aspirin bottle, shook out two… then another, and placed them in Emmett's free hand.

"Take them now!" he commanded, and Emmett glared at him defiantly. "You think you feel like shit now, wait a few more minutes and you'll feel like shit warmed over. Now stop being a macho idiot, and take the damn pills."

His mind still on Rose and her reasons for being with the doctor, he dry swallowed the pills and drank the water behind them. Mr Movie Guy shuddered visibly, and stuck out his tongue as if to say 'yuck'.

"Why is Rose with the doctor?" What's going on? I need to see her." He repeated, his voice rising with agitation.

Mr Movie Guy held up his hands in mock surrender, and smiled once again. Obviously he was finding the entire situation quite humorous – Emmett however, did not share his sentiments.

"She's with the doctor because she fractured her hand on your glass jaw."

Emmett immediately felt horrified and guilty. His beautiful Rose had been hurt and he needed to be with her. "I need to see her….NOW!"

He shot up from the bed, his patience at an end, but the room once again tilted at an odd angle, and the floor changed position and was quickly rising towards his face with increasing speed. He grimaced as he anticipated the intense pain he was about to feel, but it never came - Mr Movie Guy grabbed him before he could hit the ground.

"This is not helping the situation. Sit your ass down before I call Security and have you restrained." Mr Movie Guy ordered, and deposited him not so gently on the edge of the bed. "I'm really trying to be nice, but you are working my last nerve with all this macho bullshit. Keep quiet before you injury yourself further."

His condescending tone only served to infuriate Emmett even more. He raised his finger and poked the guy in the chest, all the while glaring at him. "Now see here Mr Movie Guy…"

The man glared back. "The name's Thatcher."

"Whatever, I want to see Rose," he demanded, now sounding like a petulant child. "She's hurt and I want to be with her."

Mr Movie Guy aka Thatcher, raised an eyebrow, and stared at him incredulously. He seemed to be very surprised at Emmett's persistence. Emmett continued to stand his ground, and was still glaring at him when a pain sliced across his forehead. He moaned and held his head in his hands.

"What the hell happened to me?" he groaned, and fell back on the bed with his eyes tightly shut. The pain in his head had decreased a bit, but the one in his jaw was quickly taking its place. "I feel like I was hit by a truck."

Thatcher snickered. "Close. In fifteen words or less – you crashed my party, proposed to Rose, she punched you and you passed out. All in all, it was very entertaining; people will be talking about you for years to come."

Emmett frowned, and sat up slowly. "Ha Ha! Glad I could amuse you, now can I please see Rose. I need to make sure she's okay."

Thatcher stared at him in disbelief, his eyebrows almost reaching his hairline. "I just told you that Rose beat you down – in public, and you still want to see her?"

Emmett looked confused. He could not understand what one had to do with the other. "Of course, what's so difficult about that."

The door opened and Rose walked in still dressed in her party apparel, but now sporting a blue sling around her right arm. Her hand was encased in a cast, and there were faint purple smudges beneath her eyes. She seemed worn out. Her eyes found Emmett's and she stared at him, transfixed. Her teeth worried her bottom lip and she seemed to be trying – unsuccessfully, to control her emotions. It had taken all his restraint, and the fact that he was in an extraordinary amount of pain, not to cross the room, and take her in his arms.

Thatcher picked up his jacket, shook his head at Emmett and headed towards the door. He leaned down, kissed Rosalie on the cheek, gave him another look as if to question his sanity and turned to her, an indulgent smile on his face.

"Congrats, my friend. This one really seems to love you – try not to hurt him too badly." And with those parting words, he disappeared through the door.

Emmett was brought abruptly out of his reverie by a tap on his shoulder. Edward and his father were standing behind him wearing curious expressions. He had been so firmly immersed in his thoughts that he had failed to realised they were standing there. He again looked towards the house and saw that Rose was now lying on the lounge, the glass of water almost empty. She still looked pale, and when she rubbed her temple in discomfort, Emmett gritted his teeth and looked away.

"Hey, you okay?" Edward asked, his eyes filled with concern.

Ignoring his question, Emmett looked down at the two bottles of beer Edward held in his hands. He grabbed one, quickly twisted the top off and putting it to his mouth, drank the contents in one. Edward and Carlisle looked at each other and then back again at Emmett, who had emptied the bottle and was eyeing the other bottle in Edward's hand with lust in his eyes. He handed it over, and Emmett made short work of that one as well.

"Thirsty much?" Carlisle asked, trying to sound nonchalant. He knew something was wrong with his eldest son; Emmett drank occasionally, but never like this. He almost seemed desperate, and that was extremely out of character for Emmett.

"Yeah," Emmett mumbled, and trying to avoid his brother and father's prying eyes, began to take the steaks from the grill. He placed them on a plate and covered them using a food cover.

He sat on the grass and started out across the water, as he tried to bring his emotions under control. The water was calm – unlike what he was feeling inside, and a little distance out, sat a guy in a small boat. He had obviously decided to take advantage of the unusually warm weather and try to catch a few fish - good luck to him. This time of year so close to Fall, the fish usually had other ideas and would not be biting much.

"Emmett, what's wrong?' Edward asked quietly, sitting on the grass beside his brother. Carlisle did the same, flanking Emmett's right side. "I've never seen you like this."

Emmett propped his elbows on his thighs and then placed his face between his hands. He sighed and when he spoke, his voice was muffled and filled with anguish.

"I think Rose is ill – seriously ill."

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He took one last puff from the filtered end of the almost non-existent cigarette, crushed it against the smooth wooden side of the boat, and then flipped it over the side and into the calm waters of Archer's Lake. It floated briefly and then disappeared from sight. He wondered how many other secrets the lake hid, and filed away its possible usefulness for future reference.

He leaned his back against the stern of the boat, pulled his hat further down over his eyes, and continued to watch the people at the house on the shore. A few snatches of conversation drifted his way, but as he was still some distance out, he was unable to distinguish the exact words. He had been watching them for about two hours now, and it thrilled him to know that they were completely unaware of his presence - just as they had been unaware of him on the ferry a couple days ago. Stealth was one of his talents, and this particular situation required vast amounts of it.

He watched as Edward went over to Bella, whispered something in her ear and she laughed. If he didn't know any better, he would have assumed they were a happy couple. However, he knew the tenuous nature of the circumstances between them, and he smiled grimly. That situation was definitely something he could use to his advantage at a later date. Edward was lying to her through his ass, and if fate did not step in and rectify the situation soon, he would give it a little assistance, a slight nudge – a nudge which would cause the carefully constructed house of cards to come tumbling down around Edward's ears.

As Edward continued to talk to Bella, his hand went to her shoulder. The action was distinctly possessive – almost as if she belonged to him. He gritted his teeth as a foreign emotion ripped through his gut. It felt almost like jealously, but that couldn't be right. He had never been jealous of anyone in his life – well, with the exception of that one time when someone had had something he wanted, and he had made short work of the man and claimed his prize. A part of him wondered if they had every found the body.

No, this prickling feeling which became more acute and uncomfortable as he continued to watch the pair, could not be jealously; it had to be something else…but what? He was at a complete lost. To his dismay, he realised that a cache of buried emotions had begun to surface from the time he had left Vancouver – emotions which had no place in his life. They made him irrational, unpredictable, sloppy, and ultimately a danger to himself. These unwanted feelings and emotions had even began to affect the other everyday aspects of his life – those which included eating, sleeping and only recently, having sex.

His sex drive was at an all time low, and nothing he did seemed to wake it up. He couldn't even get an erection, and he had tried every natural form of stimuli there was - still nothing. If he couldn't even find pleasure in a woman's soft body, then what was he to do? He was done for. Sex was one of the only things – other than killing someone, that granted him complete and total release.

He ran a trembling hand across his face and growled angrily. Everything was wrong – completely and utterly wrong. He had to find the source of his problems and eliminate it. When he was alone later that night, he would analyse his every move and action since he had boarded that flight, and returned here.

He shook another cigarette out of the pack, lit it with unsteady hands and quickly drew on the end. The lighted end flared bright orange for a brief second, and then turned to ash. As the nicotine filled his lungs, transferred to his blood and rushed to his brain, he felt himself become calmer. He was up to two packs a day now, and had he been in his normal frame of mind, this would have troubled him.

He had never been one to depend on any type of narcotic to comfort him, but cigarettes seemed to help. It was either that or start drinking, and alcohol had never been a favourite of his. He had watched his father stumble home in a drunken stupor and then beat the crap out of his mother, time and time again. His poor defenseless mother, who had been beaten and broken by that asshole of a man, who the only good thing he had ever done was to contribute to his creation. The asshole that he had had to kill when he was just nine years old.

The night had begun as usual. His mother, sporting a severely bruised and swollen left eye, had given him what little food was left, made sure he had had his bath and then tucked him into his second hand bed. That bed was one of the only pieces of furniture his father had not managed to sell in order to satisfy his alcoholic craving. His mother had made sure of that – she had even gone as far as to stand up to him, and that had earned her another beating. She had begun to sing to him in that sweet, angelic voice which he loved so much. There were times when if he stood very still, he could almost hear it.

She had been in the middle of his favourite lullaby, when the bedroom door had crashed open, and his father had stumbled in. His face had been twisted with anger and hatred, as his dull lifeless eyes had taken in the scene before him. He had demanded to know where his dinner was and his mother, knowing where this would end, had shielded him from sight with her own small, pathetic body. She had apologized and promised to find something, but he knew there was nothing left – he had eaten it all. As usual, she had sacrificed for him, and left herself hungry to ensure he went to bed with a full stomach.

The first blow careened her across the room and onto the wall opposite his bed. Her frail body slammed into the wall with a sickening thud, and he had quickly slid off the bed and tried to go to her. His father grabbed him by the throat and lifted him into the air, all the while tightening his hold. He remembered his small feet kicking fruitless in the air, trying to find purchase and the pain, as he struggled to fill his lungs with air. He had selfishly cried out to his mother to help him, and her love for him had given her strength. She had crawled into the kitchen, grabbed a knife and ordered his father to let go. His father had stared at the knife in disbelief, and then his face had become an ugly mask. He did as she asked to a point; he let him go or more so, flung him into the wall. His small body had bounced and landed in a heap on the floor. He then watched in horror as his mother, too distracted with his well being, was shoved roughly against the wall. The sudden movement jerked the knife from her grasp, and it clattered to the cold, cement floor. In the blink of an eye, his father realizing he had the upper hand, grabbed the knife and before his very eyes, plunged it into her chest and stomach. He had screamed one continuously long scream, as the blood had spurted from her wounds, soaking the floor, his father and him. Her beautiful face had contorted in agony as her life had slipped away, and before death claimed her, she said one final word – his name. Even in death, she had worried about him.

It took about five minutes before his father realised what he had done, and dropped the blood soaked knife to the floor. He fell to his knees, sobbing helplessly and called her name over and over as if this would wake her. All the years of pent up anger and rage came at him in one furious, violent rush, and he took up the instrument of his mother's death. His father, too immersed in his grief never saw it coming, and when he did, it was too late. He struck, plunging the knife into the soft flesh of his father's throat. It went in through the front and exited through the back. The look of surprise on his face had been priceless and finding the entire thing funny, he had laughed triumphantly. It was over.

As he had stared down at the pathetic, bloodied body of the man who had given him life and whom he hated beyond all reason, he had made a promise to himself. No one would ever have control over him again. He would be the one making the rules, the one with the bigger stick. He learned a valuable lesson that night, love and emotions were evil and he would never fall into the same trap his mother had. He would never love anyone - never.

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**A/N: So what are your opinions? I hope you enjoyed the different POVs and the flash backs, especially Emmett's – he really can be a character at times LOL. I'll try to control the next chapter so it won't take forever to update. My life has become so busy that I usually write this story every spare moment I have, and I mean EVERY spare moment ;-)**

**One more thing – even though the Assassin has not shown up since Chapter 10, the time span between the Ferry and now are just 2 or 3 days. Just felt the need to clarify that as you might think since he is an important person in the story, his appearances are far apart.**

**BTW - I do not in anyway condone violence against men, women, children or animals. I just thought I should make this point clear in light of the ending of this chapter.**


	17. Some Things Remain The Same

**A/N: Hi again. Yes I know this was long in coming, but I have had a few difficulties which I will not bore you with. Anyhow my note will be short and sweet so not to worry.**

**I want to thank all those who read, reviewed my previous chapter and my heartfelt apologies for taking so long to update. I also want to thank all those who added me to their favourites and alerts. You rock!!!!!!!!**

**Special mention goes out to **_ryuurei01_** (my personal cheering section), **_dreampills_**, **_vicki86_**, **_Jazz2305_**, **_Sammy73_**, **_323_** and **_IzzyBella_**.**

**I also want to thank my friend **_m244robp_** for Beta-ing this chapter. She is so incredibly talented and to **_heatherdawnc_** who created the new banner for this story. If you wish to see the banner, please visit my profile and click on the link.**

**The song for this chapter is **_'Storm'_** by **_Lifehouse_**. Please enjoy!!**

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**Chapter 16 – Some Things Remain The Same**

Bella quickly snapped another picture of the approaching ferry as it made its way towards Eagle Harbour. She lined up another shot, and using the zoom to focus on the bow of the boat where the name _'Sarafina'_ was printed in big white letters, she quickly took the shot before it could change. She then turned to her companion who was leaning against the front of the SUV, and smiled. Edward was staring in her direction, but it was difficult to tell if he was in fact watching her, as his eyes were hidden behind the lens of his dark tinted Ray-Ban sunglasses. His arms were crossed across his chest, and even though his stance was casual, she knew he was as alert as could be. The sleeves of his blue long sleeved shirt hugged the muscles of his arms, and her gaze traveled from his stomach to the toes of his brown, scuffed work boots. To say that he was hot was an understatement; he just seemed to ooze sensuality. Before she could change her mind, she turned the camera in his direction and quickly took two shots. These two, in addition to the ones she had taken in the past week unknown to him, would be added to her personal collection.

"Bella, what are you doing?" he asked, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. He pushed away from the vehicle and sauntered over to her. Even his walk was sexy, and Bella found herself growing hot despite the cool temperature.

"Creating memories," she whispered. "I don't want to forget anything."

Edward gave her a rueful smile, and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. His fingers brushed against her cheek and she drew in a sharp breath from the electric shock of his touch. "How can you forget me when I'm here? I've got it on good authority that I'm not going anywhere, anytime soon."

"Really?" she asked, staring into his face. The urge to reach up and trace the outline of his lips with her fingertips was unbearable, but she managed to curb her impulse.

Since he had returned to work on Monday, she had hardly seen him. He left home extremely early and returned late at night. He had even gone out of state on Wednesday and had not returned until the following day. That had been especially hard for her, but she had kept her pain from him – especially during those times when he had called to check up on her. Esme and Emmett however, had sensed it and managed to convince her to spend the night in the guest bedroom under the guise that Esme needed to get an early start the following day, and it made absolutely no sense her going home. A key indicator that this had been planned before was that when she had emerged from the shower, a bag with some of her belongings had been placed on the floor, next to the bed. She was extremely grateful to the Cullens who had made her week less of an ordeal.

He seemed puzzled by her sudden pensive mood, but then he smiled. "Yes, really. I'm not going anywhere so you won't get the opportunity to forget me, okay?"

She gave him a small, sad smile and dropped her eyes down to the toes of her sneakers. "I forgot you before." Her voice was barely above a whisper; it was almost as if she was blaming herself for her lapse in memory.

Edward shook his head and using his finger, tilted her chin up so she was looking him directly in the eyes. "It was not your fault, and nothing like that will happen to you again – not as long as I'm here."

She nodded and felt relieved. With a few words, Edward had laid her fears to rest – fears that she had never really thought about until she had said them. All her attention had been diverted and channeled into other things recently, leaving her little time to internalize.

The past week had been extremely hectic for Bella and therefore she had not had much of an opportunity to wallow in loneliness and self pity. Thankfully her photography had proved to be only a bit more difficult to remember than her cooking. She had spent all Sunday and part of Monday morning re-familiarizing herself with the equipment, and thanks to Esme, she was well on her way to rekindling her former glory. When she wasn't spending her time running around with Esme to meetings with the Townsends and shooting photos of their beautiful home, she was in the Seattle allowing Jasper to put her through her own personal torture. If she thought he had been hard on her the day they had met, she was mistaken. Her last two sessions had been hell on Earth. Jasper was a hard task master and the 60 minutes they had spent together, had seemed more like 60 agonizing days. He was relentless in his pursuit to help her to walk unaided, and while she was thankful for his persistence, it also irritated her at times.

Last session, she had almost clobbered him with the 5lb leg weight she had strapped around her right ankle, when she had told him she was incapable of doing the five extra leg raises he had insisted on. He had stated in his calm voice, that he was disappointed by her defeatist attitude and thought she was made of sterner stuff. That had done it, and while they hurt like the blazes, she had done them. The urge to put her thumb on the edge of her nose and wiggle her fingers at him like a five year old had been strong, but when she saw his triumphant look, she knew she had been had. He had used reversed physiology on her and achieved the desired results – that rat.

She turned and making her way over to the barricade, which separated the parking area from the dock and the Ferry offices, leaned against the rails and continued to watch the Ferry's approach. The large vessel cut smoothly and silently through the grey waters of the Sound, and Bella sighed contentedly.

Alice was on board, and a part of her was almost jumping with anticipation. Even though she couldn't remember their past friendship, she missed her friend. As the day of Alice's arrival had grown closer, she found herself getting increasingly excited. They had talked on the phone or over the internet every night for the past week, and Bella felt almost as close to Alice as she did Edward. Alice was like a ray of sunshine in the gloom, and did not allow her own personal tragedy to over shadow her radiant personality.

Bella knew the death of her mother weighed heavy on her mind, but Alice told her that Francesca had been happy during the final days of her life. She had specifically instructed that no one was to make their lives a morose monument to her. She had had a wonderful, fulfilling life and did not want her departure from this world to be marred by prolonged mourning.

A stiff, cool breeze blew off the water, bringing with it the nose-tingling smell of brine and a promise of rain later in the day. She looked up at the almost cloudless sky, but was not fooled. She had realised that the weather changed quickly in these parts, and one moment it would be sunny and warm, the next rainy and cold.

She pulled her jacket closer around her body to ward off the sudden chill, but almost jumped a foot in the air when she felt a pair of hands gently close around her upper arms. Edward stood behind her and rubbed his hands up and down her arms, as if to replace any escaping warmth. She had almost forgotten he had been standing behind her. Her skin tingled beneath the sleeves of her clothing, and she felt her stomach contract almost painfully. The front of his body was inches from hers, and she imagined herself leaning into his embrace. He was so close that ever breath he took tickled her ear and she felt static electricity raise the hair on her arms and the back of her neck. Goose pimples quickly rose across her hypersensitive skin, and the chafing of the material of her clothing only served to increase her level of discomfort.

"Better?" he asked, his voice soft. His lips were close to her ear and his sweet breath washed across her cheek.

Bella unglued her tongue from the roof of her mouth and tried to make it work. When it finally did, her voice was husky and thick with arousal. "N-no,"

She gritted her teeth as the truth fell from her lips instead of the polite, made up lie she should have told. She had really meant to say _'Yes'_, but the truth had escaped before she could pull it back. The truth which should have set her free, now only proved to be her tormentor, as he continued his ministrations.

Before they both knew it, she was pressed against the front of his body and she could feel her rear end resting lightly against his groin. She heard and felt his sharp intake of breath, and the pace of his hands slowed, and then drew to a grinding halt. She closed her eyes and prayed to anyone who was listening to give her a few seconds to control her rapidly beating heart.

His hands still rested on her arms, but his grip was a bit tighter than before. It was only when she felt the quick beats of his heart did she realise that he was as affected by her nearness, as she was to his.

"E-Edward," she whispered, a question in her voice. The wind tore his name from her lips, but she knew he had heard her because he suddenly dropped his hands and took a step back, effectively putting some distance between them. The spell was broken, but she knew they had crossed a thin, but indecipherable line. He had felt the same thing she had and it was scary, yet wonderful.

Edward dropped his hands from Bella's arms and took an unsteady step away from her. He had made a terrible mistake. He never should have touched her when he knew how out of control she made him feel - now he was paying for it. He had a raging hard-on and his lower body was in absolute agony. He grimaced and took in a few breaths as his body fought a battle he knew it was incapable of winning. God, he wanted her and he wondered if she realised it.

When she had leaned into him, it had seemed the most natural thing in the world, but then her ass had rubbed against him, all hell had broken lose. His body had acted instinctively and literally stood at attention. He had quickly put some distance between them so that she would not feel the evidence of his lack of control, and his equally filthy mind. All he seemed to be able to think about was grabbing her, ripping her clothes off, and making love to her in the back seat of his car.

He took off his sunglasses, pinched the bridge of his nose and groaned silently. The back seat of his car? What was he, sixteen? _No,_ a voice said in his head, _the hood of the car would be better suited - easier access._

_Whoa, Cullen! Get it together,_ he chastised himself and felt his body become harder as the unrestrained images of him and Bella together continued to plow through his head. _You're not some randy, inexperienced teenager and she's not your prom date._

With every ounce of self-control he possessed, he reined his mind in, but his body was definitely having problems adjusting to the sudden change in pace. He stared at the woman in front of him and saw she stood stiffly, her back erect. She almost seemed afraid to move. He swallowed painfully. He had scared her, he just knew it. It was unfair of him to force his attentions on her, especially now when she was at such a distinct disadvantage. She had no memory of them or any feelings she might have had towards him.

While he was busy trying to get in touch with his feelings and keeping them under wraps, she was getting used to just being alive and living one day at a time. A hot and horny friend was not what she needed right now. In most cases, it would just frighten her, and maybe even set her back some.

There would be time later – he hoped, to explore that side of their relationship, but not now. Right now, he had to get it together and not be a selfish, inconsiderate ass.

"Bella, are you okay?" he asked, and felt even worse when she flinched at the sound of his voice. He moved as close to her as he dared, and was about to put his hand on her shoulder – another big mistake, when she turned to him. He quickly dropped his hand to his side, and took a step back. Her face looked strange – almost as if she was having some sort of internal battle. She was probably trying to decide if she should slap him, or run away screaming.

Bella stared at Edward – seeing him, _really_ seeing him for the first time. Yes, this man was her friend, but when he had touched her before, she wanted him to be so much more. Where these intense feelings had come from she was not sure, but of one thing she was certain, Edward did not see her as anything other than a friend – his best friend. He had made his position quite clear and she really needed to accept that.

She raised her chin - all the while crumbling inside, and stared into the bottomless pools of his beautiful, troubled eyes. "Yes, I'm fine" – she turned abruptly away from him as she felt tears fill her eyes – "The Ferry is preparing to dock, so let's keep an eye out for Alice, okay?" And with that, she moved away from him and set off across the grass, towards the docking area and the attendants, who were quickly making preparations for the arrival of the vessel.

As he watched her walk away, the gentle sway of her hips sent his body into another tailspin, and he groaned and kicked viciously at a loose pebble with the toe of his shoe. She had gone some distance before his good sense kicked in and told him to follow her. As he did so, a barrage of obscenities which would have made a sailor proud, went through his mind. He never would have thought it was possible for one human being to screw up so frequently, but he was quickly proving himself wrong.

**~*~*~***

Alice stood on tiptoe and tried to see over the heads of some of the departing passengers, but this proved to be no help. Being 5ft 3 inches tall did not make being situated behind people taller than herself a good thing. She had confirmed her arrival time with Bella, but after checking her watch, she realised she was about fifteen minutes early. She shoved the strap of her red and brown leather shoulder bag further up onto her shoulder and wheeled her pull-along suitcase behind her - the exit her ultimate goal.

As she stepped off the boat, she felt her body rock slightly and she stumbled. All that rocking and swaying during the past few hours had definitely screwed with her equilibrium. Swearing and grumbling, she righted herself and continued down the metal walk-way which had been set down by the crew members a few minutes after their arrival.

Reaching the bottom and solid ground without creating an international incident – one which would prove embarrassing to herself, she almost fell to the ground with relief. She was exhausted, but it was all her fault. In an attempt to avoid inconveniencing Bella and Edward, she had decided to take the Ferry from Vancouver to Cox Island, and then onto Bainbridge. The trip had taken twice as long as if she had flown into Seattle and then taken a cab to the dock.

As she searched the different faces which milled past her and blurred into one collage of human flesh, she heard someone yell her name and turned in the direction of the familiar voice. Bella was standing over by the arrival area, waving frantically. The camera she had slung around her neck bounced against her breasts with every wave of her arm. Edward was standing a few meters from her and the expression on his face could only be described as glum. She did not have the opportunity to process what the look meant because Bella had closed the distance between them and was hugging her tightly.

She laughed as Bella continued to squeeze the breath out of her lungs, and hugged her back. It was good to have some part of Bella back again. She had worried that maybe she had lost her friend forever at the hands of a psycho, but the past week had put her fears to rest. They had begun to rebuild the foundations of their friendship, and Alice was looking forward to spending the time getting everything back to where it had been before the attack.

"Hey you," Edward greeted and ruffled her hair. She slapped his hand away and he laughed. There was no trace of the melancholy she had seen a few seconds before, and she wondered if her imagination was playing tricks on her.

"Quit it," she grumbled and dodged his hand when he went to repeat the motion. "You're messing up my new do." She gestured to her sleek, black bob, but despite her reprimand, she extracted herself for Bella's embrace and gave him a hug as well.

It felt really good to be back in Washington after so long a time, but it felt even better to be in the company of her friends again – especially one particular friend who she suspected was not being totally honest with her. Something was going on and as much as Bella tried to hide it during their conversations, Alice had picked up on it. As soon as they were alone, she had every intention of pumping her for information.

"How was the trip?" Bella asked as Edward grabbed Alice's pull-along suitcase and lugged it towards the SUV.

Alice watched as her friend's eyes followed Edward's every move and a feeling of doom came over her. _Uh oh,_ she thought, _I've seen that look before_. Whatever was happening obviously was tied to Edward and she hope that she would not have to put him in a world of hurt before the day ended. She had warned him before they had left Vancouver that there was to be no funny business. He had promised and she hoped he had not reneged on their agreement.

"Long, and in certain places rough; the water was not so friendly. I should have flown in like you suggested." She gave Bella a knowing look which made her friend burst out in laughter. The sound was almost heaven – it was good to hear her laugh again.

"Told you," Bella gloated, giving Alice a cheeky wink. "Come on, let's get going, you must be starving."

As they made their way towards the waiting vehicle, Alice tried to contain her excitement at the mention of food, but failed miserably. "Did you cook?" Her voice sounded so hopeful that it brought another bout of laughter to Bella's lips.

"Of course, Edward warned me about your bottomless pit, so I am fully prepared." She said this within earshot of Edward and he grinned wickedly at Alice.

"Yes, I also told her about the hot dog eating contest you and Emmett had that summer at the amusement park. You put him to shame." Edward chortled, going around to the driver's side.

"Oh yes, I did," Alice said proudly, and slipped into the back seat. She leaned into the comfortable seat and sighed contently. "Does he know I'm coming?"

Edward looked at her through the rear view mirror and nodded. "Yes, and he told me to tell you he wants a rematch. He's been training – the great pig, any excuse to stuff his face."

As Edward put the vehicle into drive and pulled out of the almost empty car park, Alice threw back her head and laughed. Yes, it was definitely, unequivocally good to be back home.

**~*~*~***

Alice placed the last of her clothes into the drawer, closed it and ventured over to the large window. A few clouds were slowly rolling in across the lake and she smiled. If there was one thing she had always remembered about Washington was the weather – unpredictable.

She turned from the spectacular view and grabbing her now empty suitcase, shoved it into the back of the walk in closet. She was in the process of shutting the door when she heard a knock. She smiled and shook her head.

"Come in." she invited, knowing who the person would be before they entered.

Bella came into the room holding an extra set of sheets and towels in her hands. Alice immediately went over, took them from her and placed them on one of the two chairs in the bedroom. The walls were painted a soothing shade of yellow, and this gave the room a light and airy feeling.

"Hey," Bella said, her voice filled with disappointment as she looked around the room, "I was coming to help you unpack."

Alice grinned. "Yes, I know. That's why I did it as quickly as possible." She tugged on Bella's hand and directed her over to the bed. She sat and then patted the space beside her. Bella followed her lead, and as she did so, she sighed – whether in relief from being off her feet or from a much needed time out, Alice was uncertain.

"So, how's it going?" she asked softly, watching her friend's changing expressions.

Bella smiled, but the smile did not quite reach her eyes. "It's going…okay. Just trying to adjust, but the Cullens have been really good to me. I'm not sure I could have done any of this without their help."

Alice pursed her lips and gave another discerning smile. "Yes, especially one particular Cullen."

Bella's complexion immediately turned crimson at Alice's not so subtle hint, and she knew she had hit the nail squarely on the head. Bella had suddenly become preoccupied with her fingers, and when she answered, her voice was forced and all the cheerfulness which had been present seconds before, had disappeared.

"Yes, Edward has been such a good friend." She stressed on the word _'friend'_ and that struck Alice as odd.

She placed her hand on Bella's shoulder and squeezed gently. Something had happened between her two friends and one of them was seriously upset and was trying oh so hard to disguise it. It was a good thing Bella happened to be one of the worst actresses on the planet.

"Bella, honey, has something happened?"

Bella gave her a quick, guilty look. "Like what?"

Alice raised an eyebrow and gave her an indulgent look. "I'm not sure, but I know you well enough to know when something's not right," She shrugged and hesitated before she went on. "Has Edward done something?"

Bella looked horrified at Alice's implication that Edward had hurt her in some way. "Of course not," she snapped before she could stop herself, "Edward's been nothing but good to me."

She moved off the bed and went towards the window. She wrapped her arms across her torso and hugged her body tightly. The very idea that Edward would do anything to harm her was preposterous, and Alice's question made her angry.

With her back turned to her friend, her displeasure at the turn of the conversation was outlined in every line and curve of her lithe body. She heard Alice sigh. The bed creaked softly and shortly after that, Bella felt Alice's hand on her shoulder. The angry part of her wanted to pull away and lash out, but the calm logical side took over instead.

"That's not what I meant – directly," Alice said, her voice barely above a whisper. "I meant if you two had had some sort of row? I know Edward would never physically hurt you – he's not the type."

Bella relaxed and turned to face Alice. "We did have an argument…or to be more precise, I told him off, but that's not it."

Alice looked puzzled and Bella wished she could just unload her burden on her friend, but she was hesitant. Yes, they were friends, but she did not feel 100% comfortable discussing her newfound feelings for her friend with Alice or anyone else for that matter. She was just beginning to come to grips with them and everything was just so unsure and foreign. That in addition to the fact that if she told Alice, she might let it slip and for Edward to find out that way would be unacceptable. If he was to know…and she had no intention of telling him, let it come directly from her, not as a piece of second hand gossip. And anyhow, him finding out would probably wreck their friendship, and be completely embarrassing for her. She knew she could not deal with seeing him day after day – that pitying look in his eyes, and continue on as if nothing had happened. So with those key factors in mind, she decided that she would be honest with Alice, but only to a certain degree.

"You know you can talk to me about anything." Alice pleaded, her worry level increasing as Bella's silence lengthened. Her friend looked so distraught that it scared Alice something fierce.

"I had hoped by coming back to Washington my memories would have re-emerged, but its not happening as quickly as I thought," She gave a shuddery sigh, "What if my memory never returns? What will I do then? How can I go through my life feeling as if a part of me is missing? I'm not sure I can do this."

Her last words came out as a strangled sob, and Alice wrapped her arms around her friend and held onto her shaking body. She rested her forehead on Bella's back and rocked her in a comforting motion. After a few minutes, Bella's body stilled and she gave a hiccupping little laugh. Alice released her and came around to stare her in the face.

"Wow, that was lame," Bella said. She sniffed and rubbed her hands across her red eyes, "What a home coming, huh?"

Alice smiled and shook her head. "It's okay. I prefer this homecoming to none at all. Besides, crying alone is no fun." She poked Bella in the ribs and she giggled and jumped out of reach of Alice's torturing finger. "Now, come on, I want to know what's the plan for this week. I'm anxious to see if Seattle is still the same." As she said this, she caught Bella's hands between hers and pulled her over to the bed.

They had much to discuss and Alice was anxious to begin. She knew eventually she would have to speak with Edward, because even though Bella had eventually caved in and told her what was bothering her, she was not for one minute fooled. There was something brewing between Edward and Bella…something big – something which would explode and leave a shitload of fallout in its wake.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~***

Dawn arrived the following day with its usual quiet reverence and its one-person audience. The same audience, who had heralded its arrival every morning for the past few weeks - Bella.

She rolled over on her back, kicked off the covers and sitting up, brushed her hair from her eyes. She sighed dejectedly. She had managed to get about two hours sleep…of course that had been interrupted by another horrifying nightmare. However, this one had been different from the others she had become accustomed to.

She had been in a dark room - a room so dark that when she had held her hand up to her face, it too had been engulfed. The dark had felt strange – almost like a living being. It had surrounded her – touching and caressing her bare flesh, and regardless of which way she had run, it never abated, but only seemed to draw closer. Then came the many voices reaching out to her from the incessant darkness. They began as a whisper, but the more she struggled to escape that place, the louder they became. The volume then increased until the cacophony was loud enough to shatter her eardrums. Instead of the voices making sense to her delicate ears, they had just blended into one loud scream. She had placed her hands over her ears – trying unsuccessfully to drown out the sound, but then the screaming changed venues and was now inside her head. She fell to the ground and begged them to stop, but the scream then changed to laughter – a mocking, jeering sound that had horrified her. And just when she thought her head would explode from the ordeal, she woke up.

The pain in her head however, had not completely abated and she was left with a nasty headache. A headache, which at this present time, was still stabbing at the backs of her eyeballs and between her temples. She massaged her head and shivered at the memory of her dream. She was afraid to go back to sleep after that and sat in the middle of the bed with her knees drawn up to her chest, crying silently, and listening to the rhythmic symphony of the rain drops on the roof. She so badly wanted to creep out of bed, go to Edward, climb in bed beside him and have him chase her 'monsters' away. The last night they had spent in Vancouver in her house, had been the one and only night since awaking from her coma, that she had slept soundless, without a single nightmare. She knew it happened because subconsciously she knew he was there – she was safe. But as much as she needed him, she was ashamed to ask for his help.

Only frightened, little children ran screaming into their parent's beds when the Bogey Man came calling. Adults did not do this, especially when they wanted to be taken seriously – when they wanted a particular person to believe in their ability to function as a whole and competent individual. Yes, had she gone to Edward, she knew he would never have turned her away, but ultimately it would have been similar to taking two steps backward.

Of course, how he would view her in her moment of weakness was not the only reason for her hesitation. What happened at the dock yesterday had shaken her reserves much more than she thought. She knew had she climbed into his bed last night, the chances were high that she would have done something foolish. It took every piece of perseverance she had to make herself stay in her bed, scared and alone.

Bella reached down and absently massaged her calf, using the technique Jasper had taught her. When she felt the muscle relax, she stuck her foot out and slid out of the warm confines of the bed. Yanking off her tank top and boy shorts, she shivered when the cool morning air came in contact with her warm body. The shock caused her head to ache all the more and she groaned.

Wishing for the bottle of painkillers she knew Edward kept downstairs in the First Aid kit, she made her way to the bathroom to take her morning shower. Today was not the day she would allow a headache and the remnants of a nightmare to disrupt her day. She had too many things to do, to be knocked out of the loop.

Within an hour of descending from her room and entering the kitchen, Bella made breakfast. She looked at the clock and knew Edward would soon come downstairs, grab whatever he could eat and then leave in time to catch the next ferry into the city.

She placed an apple and a banana inside a zip-lock bag, a portion of eggs and bacon into a carry container, and then placed these inside the blue and red lunch bag which laid opened on the counter. She topped off all of this with a fork and two white chocolate and macadamia nut cookies she had baked yesterday.

Bella had just zipped the bag closed when Alice walked into the kitchen. She rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand and yawned hugely. The front of her robe fell open to expose her Tinkerbell embossed t-shirt and pajama shorts with the motif of Peter Pan on the left leg.

"Good morning!" she chirped in an annoyingly happy voice. Bella stuck out her tongue and shook her head. Obviously Alice was one of those merry morning people.

"Good morning, did you sleep well?" Bella asked and placed a plate into her friend's waiting hands.

Alice nodded, and raising her arms in the air, gave a little wiggle. "Of course, it was wonderful. I slept the sleep of about ten dead people, but that's good." She shrugged and began filling her plate.

Bella rolled her eyes and shook her head as she watched Alice pile the grub on. Edward had not been exaggerating when he said Alice liked to eat. As for where she put it all, Bella could only imagine.

"So, what time do we have to leave?" Alice asked, sitting in one of the chairs and biting into a piece of crisp bacon.

"You'll have to leave in about two hours if you want to make Bella's appointment on time." Edward's voice floated into the kitchen and a few seconds after that, his body followed. He made her way over to the coffee pot, poured himself a cup and added milk.

_How does he do that?_ Bella wondered, _The man had the hearing of a cat_.

He was partially dressed for work in a pair of navy slacks and a white close fitting t-shirt. Bella drew in a deep breath when she caught a glimpse of his abs through the material of his shirt. To avoid hyperventilating, she quickly moved her gaze to his bare feet and rolled her eyes – that had definitely not made the situation any better.

To help herself to focus, she quickly turned away, grabbed a plate and shoved it at him, her eyes down. He hesitated for what seemed to be the space of a heart beat before he took it. As soon as he did, she turned quickly away, all the while gathering strength. She could just imagine the questioning look on his face, but at this point, she didn't care, she was just unable to pretend.

"Good morning, Bella," he greeted, his beautiful voice filled with a hint of uncertainty, "Did you sleep well?"

His greeting forced her to look at him and when their eyes met, she was speechless. His eyes had darkened to an incredible shade of jade, and she had a flash of him looking at her in that way a very long time ago. She felt the temperature in the room rise by almost 20 degrees, and she swallowed past the lump which had suddenly appeared deep inside her throat.

"Y-yes," she lied. He raised an eyebrow at her in disbelief and she felt her face grow warm. "Well, some of the night," she corrected, feeling guilty for lying to him.

"Hmmm," he muttered as he set the empty plate down on the counter, took a sip of his coffee and continued to watch her over the rim of his cup.

Bella told herself to look away, but she was mesmerized by his gaze. It was almost like the lamb being led to the slaughter under its own propulsion, but unable to stop itself. It knew it would ultimately die, but would that be so bad when the death would be so beautiful and wondrous?

"Hello, I'm still here," Alice said cutting through her thoughts. She was waving her hands in the air to get their attention. Edward blinked and shook his head as if awaking from some sort of self-induced stupor. He turned to Alice and gave her a wry look.

"As if we could forget. You're small, loud, annoying – hmmm, reminds me of a mosquito," he said, thoughtfully.

Alice flipped him the bird and they both exploded with laughter. Bella was glad that the attention had been diverted away from her. It gave her the opportunity to compose herself and not unintentionally give her secret away.

"By the way…catch," Edward said and retrieving a set of keys from one of the hooks on the wall, lobbed them at Alice. She reached out and plucked them nimbly from the air. She then turned them over in her hand – examining them with a confused look on her face.

"What are these?" Alice asked, placing the bunch of four keys on the table beside her plate. They made a metallic, clinking sound as they settled into a heap on the table.

"Keys to my car and to the house," he explained, draining the last of the coffee from his cup. He quickly washed it and placed it in the dish drainer to dry.

"Your car?" Alice asked, confusion in her voice. Bella could tell she was questioning if she had heard him correctly.

Edward grinned. "Yes, you're taking my car today. How exactly were you going to get to the hospital?"

Bella turned to him. "How are you going to get to work?"

She remembered Carlisle had worked a double shift last night and was probably still at the hospital. Emmett had decided to stick close to home today and work from his office, and Esme was meeting with the Townsends first thing this morning. That left only….Rosalie, and Bella definitely did not know what her schedule was like as they were not exactly best buddies. So, how Edward was going to get to work baffled her.

"My partner was nice enough to offer me a ride," He explained, his eyes on Bella. He then looked down at his watch and frowned. "Speaking of which, he should be here any minute. Can you let him in when he comes?"

Bella nodded and watched as Edward disappeared through the door, and up the stairs. She caught Alice's watchful look but choose to ignore. Now was not the time for a repeat of last night's inquisition.

"Does he still have the same partner as before?" Alice asked, a troubled expression disturbing her delicate features.

Bella shrugged and moved over to the counter where Edward had stood a few minutes before. She picked up a red, ceramic mug and took a sip of the herbal tea she had prepared earlier. The heady taste and fragrance of summer berries exploded across her senses and she sighed contentedly. She had tried Edward's favourite brew, but discovered it was not to her liking. He looked at her funny when she had spat the coffee back into the cup. Her declaration that it tasted like crap, and how could he drink the stuff, was met with surprise. When she asked him about his reaction, he quietly explained that coffee used to be a favourite of hers. He then mumbled he wondered what else had changed about her. It made her wonder as well.

"I don't know, we never discussed it," Bella said, leaning her hip against the counter. She saw her friend frown in response to her answer and her curiosity got the better of her – something was up, "Why?"

Alice's answer was drowned out by the sudden pealing of the doorbell. She tensed, but seemed somewhat relieved at the interruption and continued eating her breakfast, leaving Bella to do as Edward had requested and let the visitor in.

By the time she had made it to the foyer, the person had rung the bell once more, and this grated on Bella's nerves. Hadn't he heard that patience was a virtue? She saw the outline of a man's form from through the frosted panes of the door and she paused. For some unusual reason, she suddenly felt apprehensive about opening the door and allowing this stranger entry into her sanctuary. She stood still for a few seconds more, her mind in turmoil – should she let him in or just pretend she hadn't heard the bell? Of course the last option would be ridiculous as she suspected the man could probably see her standing on the other side of the door. She was still mauling through her choices when the bell rang again. The noise made her jump and momentarily forgetting her fear, she angrily yanked the door open.

"Yeesh! Enough with the bell already. We hear you. Actually, I think everyone in Seattle heard you," she grumbled, loudly enough for the man to hear.

Standing outside was a man whose face made her think of the 'Boy Next Door' image most people had in their minds. His blonde hair was wind blown, he was clean shaven and had eyes whose irises were two completely different colours – one grey and one hazel. He was neatly dressed in a tan jacket, tan pants, a bronze coloured tie and brown shoes. He reminded her of a runway model.

Seeming a bit startled at the sudden opening of the door and by her abrupt appearance, he took a step back. However, he continued to stare at her with those unusual eyes and to be honest, it began to creep her out. As she waited for him to say something, she mentally flipped through the few conversations she and Edward had had about his partner in order to remember his name.

"James, right?" She knew her tone was less than friendly, but it was impolite to stare and that was all he had done since she had opened the door. Plus the door bell ringing episode did not exactly contribute to a friendly frame of mind.

"Yes, you don't remember me?" His words more seemed like a statement than a question and required no answer, so she opted to give none. His voice was generic, cultured and somewhat pleasant. It was the type of voice advertising agencies killed for to produce voice-overs for commercials or horror movie trailers…wait! Where had that come from? Horror movies? She really was becoming a bit too over dramatic for her own good, and needed to put a curb to her imagination.

She shook her head and stepped aside to allow him entry. As he moved past her, his right arm brushed her left breast and she immediately shrank away until the hard, wooden material of the door bit into her back. She knew she was going to have one hell of a bruise come tomorrow, and it was all thanks to Mr Stare Me Scary.

She glared at his retreating back as he continued into the den and she wondered if he was even aware of the fact that he had touched her? From his reaction, she could only assume that he had not. Still, his touch – regardless of how slight, had stirred something inside her - something not good.

Reluctantly, she followed him and watched as he made himself comfortable in one of the chairs. It was obvious from his body language that he was accustomed to being inside of the house, and she hoped that he would not make this a regular occurrence during her stay. She perched on the corner of the recliner, and trying to be the perfect host, plastered a smile on her face.

"Edward should be down soon. He's just finishing up," she explained and absently stroked the smooth leather chair with the tip of her finger. James' eyes followed the motion and her hand abruptly stilled. What was it with this guy?

He lifted his glaze from her hand to her face and smiled. It was a nice smile, but there was something else behind it – something which made her uncomfortable.

"That's okay, I'm a bit early anyway," he said, his smile remaining firmly in place, "Anyhow, it gives us time to talk."

Now that took Bella by surprise. "Talk? What about?" she asked, her discomfort growing.

He shrugged nonchalantly, but continued to stare directly into her eyes. "Edward told me about your accident. How are you?"

Bella was taken aback by his concern – if in fact that's what it was. "I'm feeling better. Thank you for asking."

"You're welcome. He also told me you had lost your memory…must be difficult." James said, unbuttoning his jacket and changing positions in his seat to make himself more comfortable. The lapels of his jacket fell open and Bella caught a brief glimpse of what looked like the handle of a gun.

Immediately, a feeling of fear rose up and began to choke her. Her fear must have been mirrored on her face because James began to look a bit worried. He followed her stare and when he realised the reason for her reaction, he quickly re-buttoned the jacket.

"Sorry," he muttered, sliding the last button home, "I've grown so accustomed to carrying a weapon I forget how people react to it."

Bella shook her head and drew in a deep breath. "No, its okay. Just took me by surprise, that's all."

"No, no, I should have left it outside. It was insensitive of me, given your situation," He gave her an apologetic smile. "So, you were saying before I scared you…"

Maybe they had gotten off on the wrong foot and he was not as bad as she had first thought. She racked her brain to remember what they had been discussing before the gun incident. Oh yes…her memory.

"Yes, it's difficult at times, but thanks to Edward…not so much," she smiled a secret smile. "He's been my rock."

James grinned and shook his head. "That's Edward for you. He would pick up a cat or dog off the street and take care of it. He's the bleeding heart type."

Bella's smile slid from her face and she stared at the man in front of her in shock. Had he just compared her to a stray cat or dog? Hell no! Erase the earlier thought about him not being such a horrible person – he was worse.

She pulled herself into a standing position and gave him a tight, little smile. The idiot was still smiling at her – not realizing what his words had implied, and she felt like throwing something heavy at him. How Edward could stand to work with him was beyond Bella's comprehension, but she needed to remove herself from the room before she said something rude.

"My apologies, but I have to go. I'm sure Edward will be down shortly." She caught a brief glimpse of surprise on his face as she abruptly left the room.

By the time Edward had come downstairs, fifteen minutes had gone by and Bella had finished her breakfast. She had eaten a bit more than was usual for her as Jasper had advised her to have a full stomach for their sessions. Alice was busy reading the newspaper and had not spoken a word since she had returned to the kitchen. She had just given her a strange look and ducked her head behind the pages of the Bainbridge Chronicle.

"Where's James?" Edward asked, as he draped his jacket over the back of chair and moved over to grab his house keys from off the hook. He had added a white long-sleeved shirt with blue pinstripes, a navy tie and black Oxfords to his ensemble. The shirt was bunched a bit in the back where his shoulder holster rested and she realised that she had never seen him carry a gun - unlike the idiot in the living room. She wondered where he kept it and if in fact he kept it in the house. If he did, she had seen no sign of it, but then again, she had not gone looking.

"He's in the den," Bella said off-handedly, her voice tense.

She saw Alice raise an eyebrow behind the newspaper, but she just continued reading. Bella had the strong feeling that she had not read one word since she had returned to the kitchen. To prove herself right, she discretely moved to Alice's back and smiled when she saw the page number and article remained the same as it had fifteen minutes ago. Either Alice was a really slow reader or she was pretending big time.

"Thanks," Edward said. He seemed unaware that something was going on and for that Bella was thankful. She did not want to become a source of contention between Edward and his partner. If Edward was unaware of just how big a jerk his partner was, then let him remain that way.

Catching sight of the lunch bag, Edward opened it and peeped inside. He smiled, extracted the apple and took a bite. As his strong, white teeth bit into the fruit, Bella felt herself grow warm, hot and then on fire – this time not in anger, but desire.

_To be that apple would be a blessing_, she thought, and licked her suddenly parched lips. She took a glass from the cupboard above her head, filled it a quarter of the way with water and gulped it down. It quenched her thirst, but did nothing to put out the flames which raged out of control in her stomach.

"So, Alice," Edward said sliding his arms into the sleeves of his jacket. With the apple clenched firmly between his teeth, his voice was slightly muffled. "You're sure you remember how to get around Seattle? After all, its been some time since you were here." He took the apple from his mouth and grinned when Alice glared at him.

"I'm not even going to justify that with an answer, Edward Cullen," she retorted and stuck out her tongue at him, "Why don't you just hurry up, go to work and leave us in peace?"

Edward held up his hands in surrender. "Fine, I'm going, but don't call me when you get lost. I might have to remind you of what you said."

He was laughing now, and Bella realised she loved to see this side of his personality instead of the side which worried constantly. He grabbed the lunch bag and was about to make his way out through the door when he stopped. He came over to her and reaching out, tucked a lock of hair which had managed to escape her hap hazard ponytail, behind her ear. He then brushed his knuckles across her cheek for the briefest of moments before dropping his hand.

"Have a good day" – his voice was soft, almost intimate – "And give Jasper a message for me. Tell him if he works you too hard, I'll come down to the hospital and kick his ass."

Bella giggled and nodded. "I'll be sure to give him your message."

He gave her one last heart stopping smile, waved at Alice and left the room. She heard a few snatches of conversation, the slamming of the front door, the roar of an engine and he was gone. He hadn't been gone two minutes and she missed him already. She brushed her fingertips against the spot where he had touched her and it felt warm. Her skin tingled as if his hand was still there and she sighed. Even her body had joined in the game and was betraying her at every turn. She needed to get this under control, but first…Alice.

She turned to her friend who had folded the paper and was gathering her breakfast dishes. It was obvious she was trying to avoid Bella's penetrating gaze, but she was having none of it. Alice knew something and she wanted to know what it was…now.

"Alice, why did you ask me about James earlier?" she asked, her arms folded across her chest.

Alice's eyes flew to hers and she saw that in addition to the uncomfortable expression on her face, she also looked surprised.

"J-James?" she stammered. Bella could tell she was completely taken by surprise at Bella's direct attack.

"Yes, James. Don't pretend with me. I want to know why you asked me if he was still Edward's partner." Her voice held a warning – the warning not to mess with her, and Alice took it.

Alice frowned and then sighed in resignation. She took the dishes over to the sink and turned to stare at Bella, all the while working her bottom lip with her teeth. "Look, I don't want to cause any problems…" she trailed off.

"Neither do I, that's why I'm asking," Bella reasoned. She then threw her hands into the air, "C'mon Alice, tell me. It can't be that bad."

Alice shook her head. "It's not, it's just that you…you never really liked James very much. You always said he made you uncomfortable."

Bella smiled to herself, shook her head and breathed a sigh of relief. So that was it? At least she understood her dislike of the man and felt strangely happy that something from her former life had carried over – even if it was extreme dislike for a person. To her it signified that the old Bella was still rattling around inside her head somewhere. She just needed to find a way to get her out.

"Well, at least that's one thing that hasn't changed." And with that, she left the room and a shocked Alice to try to figure out exactly what she meant.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~***

By the time they had made it to SUH, they were ten minutes away from being late and Bella quickly greeted Patty, introduced Alice and went to Carlisle's office. She knocked on his door and upon receiving no reply, turned the knob and pushed the door. She expected the office to be empty, but it was not. Carlisle was sprawled out on the couch, his blonde head was set at an uncomfortable angle, his mouth was slightly opened and he was snoring softly. His left arm and leg hung precariously off the edge of the chair and Bella knew if he shifted – even slightly, he would end up on the floor.

It was obvious to anyone that he was completely knocked out and Bella was tempted to wake him, but she resisted. Pulling two shifts had to be tiring and with that in mind, she placed the bag of cookies on his desk, grabbed the blanket from off the back of the couch, and draped it over his body. He sighed, muttered something in his sleep about sutures being too tight, and continued snoring.

Bella was still giggling when she closed the door behind her and after explaining to Alice, they made their way downstairs to Jasper's little torture chamber.

When they arrived in the rehabilitation center, Bella was relieved to find that they were the only ones present. Last time, there had been two other patients and she swore they were laughing at her. Jasper had told her they were not, but she wasn't sure if she believed him. If she was going to make an ass of herself, she preferred to do it in private, and definitely without an audience.

She quickly changed into her work-out clothing – t-shirt, yoga pants and sneakers, and sat beside Alice on one of the benches which had been placed strategically around the room for patients and visitors. Alice was telling her about the couple she had rented out her house to when Jasper walked into the room, holding a pair of drumsticks in one hand and a latte in the other. He was using both sticks to beat out a rhythm in the air, his eyes were closed and Bella saw the tiny tell tale cables which led from his ears and disappeared beneath his grayish black 'Pink Floyd' embossed t-shirt. He was humming and nodding his head in time to whatever song he was listening to. He beat out another complex rhythm and twirled the drumsticks across his fingers. One of them slipped, flew into the air and landed on Alice's lap. She immediately placed her bag over it, hiding it from view. Bella gave her a puzzled look, but she shook her head and grinned wickedly.

"Shit," he grumbled and opening his eyes, and immediately reddened when he realised he had an audience. He yanked the ear phones from his ears, draped them over his shoulder and grinned sheepishly. "You're early."

Bella smiled, barely managing to contain her laughter. "Nope, you're late."

He checked his watched and then began to look around the room. "Yeah, but only by five minutes. Give a guy a break." He was trying discretely to locate his missing drumstick and Bella nudged Alice in the ribs.

Alice slipped her hand under her bag, stood and walked over to Jasper who was watching her with a flabbergasted expression on his face. The heels of her red, suede boots made a soft clicking noise on the wooden floor as she sashayed towards him. His mouth fell open as if he was seeing something amazing – something that his eyes could not comprehend.

"Lost something?" she asked, handing him the missing stick. He started at her and then at the stick as if in a trance, and then took it.

"Uh, mine – yeah...thanks so much," he stuttered and continued to stare at her.

"Pink Floyd, huh?" she said gesturing to the front of his shirt and this brought him back to Earth again. He grinned and nodded. "They're pretty good, but in my opinion, they've got nothing on The Beatles."

Jasper snorted. "C'mon those hippy guys can't even begin to compare to Pink Floyd or even Led Zepplin."

"That's not what millions of people across the world think. I mean _'Hey You'_ and _'Comfortably Numb'_ are really good, but can't compare to the Beatle's 1964 hit _'A Hard Day's Night'_ . It was Number 1 on the charts for 21 weeks," Alice said looking up at him, her hands placed firmly on her hips.

Jasper was in complete awe of the dark haired beauty. This woman really knew her music and that was at complete odds with her appearance. She was tiny, exceptionally well dressed and looked way out of his league. If he had seen her on the street, he would have assumed that she was some hoity-toity socialite, and would not have given her a second look. But now, he was looking – definitely looking and he liked what he saw.

Bella appeared at the side of the beauty and grinned at him. She seemed to know that her friend had completely floored him and was enjoying every moment of his surprise. Great, this was payback for their last session.

"Jasper, this is my friend Alice Branson," Bella introduced and watched as Alice stuck out her hand towards Jasper.

He rested his cup on the desk and then took her small hand in his large one. He brought it to his lips briefly, and then gave a small bow. Alice giggled and her face flushed red. Her eyes were unusually bright and Bella knew she was completely captivated by Jasper.

"Jasper Whitlock, at your service," he said, staring into her eyes.

"Nice to meet you, Jasper. I've heard so much about you," Alice said, a smile in her voice.

Jasper raised a sandy coloured eyebrow in Bella's direction. "Don't believe everything you hear."

"Hmmm, I've heard you're a really nice guy…am I mistaken in that assumption?"

Jasper looked embarrassed. "Oh, no – I'm a really nice guy – not meaning to blow my own trumpet or anything…" he trailed off, his ears turning a nice shade of crimson.

He felt as if his tongue and brain were fighting for supremacy and neither of them was winning the battle. He felt the need to impress this woman, but everything which had come out of his mouth, and everything he had done since he had walked into the room, was proving otherwise. Maybe it was time to shut his mouth and give his brain time to cool down.

He released Alice's hand, which he had been holding for way too long to be considered appropriate, and turned to Bella who was working on warming up her hands by clenching her fingers into fists. He was glad she remembered that they were going to be tackling a new aspect of her program today.

"So, Bella, are you ready to work hard today?" he asked, placing the drumsticks on the desk and slipping his arms into a blue hospital issued smock. It covered most of his t-shirt, but the gray sleeves were about an inch longer, and peeped out from beneath its sleeves.

"I'm always ready, but I've got a message for you..." she delivered Edward's message and Jasper threw back his head and laughed uproariously.

"Tell him he still owes me that twenty, so while on my turf I'll do as I like." He snickered. "Are you ready?"

"Sure."

Jasper turned to Alice who was watching them in silence, her hands shoved into the pockets of her red, knee length coat.

"Are you going to stick around?" his voice was hopeful and that brought a smile to Alice's lips. He really was too cute and maybe a bit too young for her. She didn't make it a habit of dating men younger than herself. He looked like he had just gone into college and when she got Bella alone, she would find out exactly how old he was.

She shook her head. "Not this time. I've got a few errands to run so I'll be back in about an hour."

He looked disappointed and it made Alice feel all warm inside. Jasper wanted her to stick around and she wanted to, but she had a promise to keep. Plus she didn't want to make it too easy for him.

"I'll see you in an hour," she raised her voice so that Bella who was now standing at the opposite end of the room would hear. Bella waved at her and continued with her stretches. She gave Jasper a coy look, wiggled her fingers at him and left the room.

**~*~*~***

By the time Bella had completed her session with Jasper, she had pain and cramps in a few areas she never knew existed. She changed into her street clothes, all the while moaning in agony, and limped over to one of the benches. Jasper the Torturer was busy putting away the equipment they had used and Bella glared at him. As if feeling her eyes on him, he turned to her and gave her an apologetic smile.

"You did really well today," he placated, sitting beside her and reaching down, brought her leg up and onto his lap. "Cramp?"

"Yes," she said through gritted teeth as the pain intensified to the point where tiny beads of sweat popped out on her forehead. "Ouch!" she cried out when his fingers found the tense point and began a not so gentle massage.

"Sorry, but this one is a bad one," he muttered, his tongue stuck between his teeth. "The unfortunate thing is that the more you work the muscle, the more it will put up a fight, so the result for a while will be more severe cramps. It should decrease in a few weeks or so."

"A few weeks?" Bella yelped. She could hardly stand this for a few days, further more a few weeks. Wasn't the purpose of therapy to alleviate pain and make everything better? If what Jasper was saying was true, then this was making it worse.

"It's not a quick fix, Bella. I told you we were in for a long one with this," Jasper said as he continued his massage, "But I know you'll do fine. The cramps are a good sign – it means we're actually making progress."

"Well when you put it that way, I guess I can take it," she grumbled, watching his fingers work their usual magic. The cramp decreased to a dull throbbing ache and she knew it would stay that way for the rest of the day. As soon as she got home, she would take a nice long soak in the bathtub and massage the area some more.

"Um, Bella, can I ask you something?" Jasper asked, his voice slightly hoarse.

Bella smiled and knew this was going to be about Alice. Jasper had been suspiciously preoccupied during their session and she knew it was thanks to her friend.

"Sure."

"I-is Alice seeing anyone?" Jasper's voice was so soft that had she not been listening carefully, she would have missed the question.

"Not to my knowledge. I could find out for you if you like," she offered and saw Jasper become instantly alert. He flashed her a grateful smile.

"Would you?"

Bella nodded. "Of course, but what's up?" she asked, feigning ignorance.

Jasper pulled her pant leg down, set her foot on the floor and leaned back against the back of the bench. He placed his elbows on the wall behind him, cradled the back of his head in his hands and smiled sheepishly.

"I was thinking of inviting her to hear my band play. Do you think she would come?" he seemed so uncertain that Bella reached over and patted his hand. This was obviously uncharted territory for Jasper and it was refreshing to see a guy so uncertain.

"Why don't you ask me yourself." A voice said from the doorway and Jasper closed his eyes, dropped his head into his hands and groaned - his luck could not be so incredibly bad.

He peeped through his fingers and saw the topic of his conversation standing in the doorway, leaning against the doorjamb. She was just as beautiful as before and her teasing smile increased the rate of his heart beat.

When he remained silent – mainly due to his embarrassment, she detached herself from the door and walked over to the desk. She took up his cell phone, dialed a series of numbers, pressed another button and replaced it on the desk. She then turned and made her way toward the exit, but before she went through the door, she looked at him over her shoulder and smiled.

"Give me a call sometime." She advised and disappeared.

With his mouth hanging open in shock, he barely registered Bella patting him on the shoulder and biding him goodbye. Was it possible that Alice had just agreed to go out with him and was it possible that she had given him her number? He was off the bench in a shot and grabbing his phone, began to scroll through its directory. Her name was at the top of the list and he gave a loud whoop of excitement.

**~*~*~***

As Alice pulled out of the car park, Bella eyed her friend from the corner of her eye. Alice seemed extremely happy about something and it was only when they turned in the opposite direction away from the dock, that Bella realised they weren't heading home.

"Where are we going?" she asked as they passed a large department store and took a left at Baxter's Avenue.

Alice grinned widely. "I've got something to show you. Something I bought today."

Bella turned in her seat, Alice's excitement had become contagious and the curiosity was killing her. "What did you buy?"

"I bought a car." She laughed.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~***

**A/N: Just wanted you to know that the next three chapters which will follow will be vitally important to this story, so please try to be patient with me. After all, I'm only human…………..**


	18. Murphy Who?

**SURPRISE!!! Here I am again with another quick update. I know it is unexpected, but as I said, the story is guiding me so hopefully I can keep updating quickly.**

**First, I have to make a special dedication to my friend **_Michelle_**, who has been right by my side cheering me on all the time. She is the Interior Decorator in this story and I can always bounce my ideas off her. Thanks **_Meesh_** LOL!! This chapter is just for you.**

**Quick thanks go out to my other fabulous readers and reviewers – **_dreampills_**, **_malan09_** (glad you like the A&J face time. Your review made me laugh so hard…I really enjoyed it), **_Sammy73_** (glad to have you back), **_.323_**, **_whitewolf29_** and **_Lights Love Green_** (I was so shocked that people are actually using Forums to find my story. Thank you for the heads-up).**

**Special thanks also go out to all those who added the story to their favourites and alerts.**

**The song I choose for this chapter is **_Best I Ever Had_** by **_State of Shock_**.**

**I hope you enjoy this chapter and try, not to hate me too much LOL (you'll see what I mean). **

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_**Murphy's Law states: Anything that can go wrong will go wrong**_

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**Chapter 17 – Murphy, Who? **

Alice pushed her way inside Bella's bedroom and drew to an abrupt halt. Bella was dressed in a black panty and bra set and was trying desperately to put her hair up. The heavy mass refused to cooperate and Bella gave a tiny scream out of frustration. She then took the comb and roughly combed it backwards off her forehead and face, and stuck an elastic band around the end. She nodded in satisfaction and grabbing a pair of slacks from the heap of clothing on her bed, began to drag it up her legs.

"Where the hell do you think you're going in that?" Alice bellowed and snatched at the pair of pants. Bella lost her balance and fell into the mountain of discarded clothes piled on the bed.

"To dinner, if you'd let me," Bella retorted and made a grab for the pair of pants clutched firmly in Alice's small fist. Alice whipped them out of her reach and threw them backwards over her shoulder. They fell into a dark heap just inside the doorway.

"Over my dead body!" she exclaimed, her fists planted on her hips. "There is no way in Hell, you're leaving this house looking like a reject from the Salvation Army."

"Hey," Bella growled, her arms crossed indignantly across her breasts. "Watch it! There is nothing wrong with my clothes."

Alice gave a very unladylike snort at that statement, and Bella glared at her. She raised her hips and yanked out a few pieces of clothing from underneath her butt. A colorful mass came out hopelessly wrinkled. Bella groaned.

She pointed a finger at Alice. "This is all your fault, Alice Branson."

Alice looked incredulous. "My fault? How do you figure that?"

Bella rolled her eyes and waved her arms in the air. "You, and your suggestions. _'Hey, why don't we have a family dinner in the city?' _" She mimicked Alice's high-pitched voice and Alice playfully chucked her shoulder.

"Shut up! I don't sound like that," she fumed.

"Yes, you do," Bella argued and dropped her head into the cradle of her palms. "I'm not going. Tell them I suddenly came down with something and can't go; tell them I'm bed-ridden. Tell Edward to bring me back a doggy bag." Her voice was muffled, and filled with frustration.

"Nope," Alice said shaking her head. "Hang on, I've got a solution to your problem. Be right back."

As Bella looked up, she caught Alice's disappearing through the door. She returned a few minutes later with a black garment bag, a shoe box and a couple other bags.

"What are those?" Bella asked suspiciously, eyeing the bags as if they concealed snakes or some other poisonous animal.

"Your clothes; I knew this would happen so we came prepared," Alice said, her elfin face beaming.

Bella looked around as if expecting someone else to step out of her bathroom or the walk-in closet. "We? Who's we?"

Alice grinned and pointed towards the open door. Rosalie stepped into view and Bella gasped – both at her presence and her appearance. She was beautiful. Her mass of golden hair was pulled away from her face and fell into an array of curly waves down her back. She wore a white halter neck dress which skimmed smoothly over her curves and stopped about two inches above the knee. Her feet were encased in strappy bronze colored, high-heeled sandals. Her accessories matched the color of her shoes.

"Hi," Rosalie greeted, an uncertain smile on her face. Bella could tell that she was wondering if her presence was a welcomed addition to their small gathering.

"Uh, hi, Rosalie. What are you doing here?" She bit her tongue as the words propelled themselves thoughtlessly from her mouth. _Gee…talk about undiplomatic._ "What I meant was, how did Alice manage to get you involved?"

Rosalie grinned at Alice and shrugged. "Bat signal?"

Bella's mouth fell open and her eyes grew wide at Rosalie's joke. "W-what?"

In all the time she had been here, Rosalie had never made a joke with her. It's amazing how Alice seemed to have the ability to influence people's behavior. From the moment the two women met, they hit it off famously, and Bella had to admit, she felt a bit jealous. Maybe Alice had a copy of that book _How To Win Friends and Influence People_, stashed away somewhere.

Alice exhaled loudly and shook her head as she took Bella by the arms and dragged her into a standing position. She then yanked the elastic band from Bella's hair and threw it on the bed.

"Come on, let's get you primped and plucked," Alice ordered, and shoved Bella into the spacious bathroom. "Rose, grab the curling iron. We've got approximately ½ hour to turn this ugly duckling into a swan – no pun intended."

Half an hour and many threats of bodily harm later, Alice and Rosalie took a step back and admired their handiwork. Bella stood opposite the full length mirror with her eyes tightly closed, afraid to see what havoc the two had wreaked on her poor, innocent body.

"Oh, for God's sake Bella, open your eyes," Alice commanded exasperated. "You're acting like someone cut your ear off and glued it to your chest."

"Really Bella, it's not that bad. Open your eyes and take a look," Rosalie coaxed, a smile in her voice.

Bella cautiously opened one eye and then both. She gasped and looked around as if to convince herself that it was her reflection. Her hair which had hung limp and lifeless earlier had now been transformed into a layered, shiny mass framing her face.

The dress was a mixture of brown, burgundy and orange silk with spaghetti straps and a V-shaped neckline. The hem was cut at an angle and showed off her legs. For once, Bella felt beautiful. She brushed her hand against her waist where the ties of the wide sash met and knotted, which made the dress appear all the more dainty. Burgundy sandals completed the outfit.

"Wow!" she exclaimed, turning slowly in the mirror. "I look amazing."

Alice and Rosalie gave each other high fives and then Alice went over to the dresser and began to rifle through Bella's wooden jewelry box. She pulled out a few things and not finding what she sought, continued to dig.

Bella looked at Rosalie and she shrugged. She seemed to be just as lost as she was. "Uh, Alice, what are you looking for?"

"Your necklace," she muttered, pulling out a pair of earrings and setting them down on the dresser.

"Which one?" Bella asked.

"The one with the locket and the key," Alice explained. "Where is it?"

Bella looked puzzled. "I'm not sure what you're talking about. I've never seen anything of that description."

Alice stared at her for a few seconds in complete silence. Something about this was wrong. "Bella, you've worn that particular necklace for the past five years. You never took it off."

Bella's hand automatically went to her throat and she had the sudden sensation that something was missing; something she valued highly. She caught a brief glimpse of the necklace Alice had described and a feeling of loss so profound, settled over her.

"W-where is it, Alice?" she asked in a small, childlike voice.

Alice gave Rosalie a quick look, and then smiled reassuringly at Bella. Unknowingly, she had opened a Pandora's Box and now it was up to her to try to close it. Or at least delay its opening. She put her arm around her friend's shoulder and gave her a hug.

"I'm sure we'll find it. Maybe the hospital in BC forgot to give it back. It happens sometimes."

"It does?" she asked looking from Alice to Rosalie for confirmation. They both nodded.

"Yes, sometimes when a patient comes in with valuables, they put them away in the hospital's vault and they can sometimes be forgotten," Rosalie said, making her voice soothing in order to quiet Bella's quickly growing distress. "I can ask Carlisle to get in contact with the hospital and have them check."

"Would you please? I think it was really important and I would like to get it back." She inhaled shakily and gave the two women a wane smile. "I don't want to spoil the night, let's finish up and get moving."

Rosalie's explanation seemed to calm Bella somewhat, but Alice suspected that when Carlisle contacted the hospital, they would find no sign of the locket there. The chances of it ever being found were miniscule, and she knew the importance of that locket to Bella. It was the only part of her past she had kept – a reminder of just how much she had loved and lost. She prayed that Bella would not delve deeper into this, because she had very few answers that she could, or was allowed, to give.

Alice mentally doomed Edward to the fiery pits of Hades. It was because of her promise to him that she had not spilled her guts and told Bella about her past. She also did not want to be the one responsible for destroying the fragile world which Bella was trying so desperately to rebuild.

It was a difficult decision to make because first and foremost, she hated to lie to Bella. She had never done it, and it made her feel like a traitor. She had kept her mouth shut because she knew it had been for the best, but now that she had arrived and realized the state of things between Edward and Bella, she was thinking more and more about breaking that promise. If she was not mistaken, Bella was falling in love with Edward all over again and that was dangerous. Especially since she did not have access to all the information in order to make a proper decision.

There were things about this entire situation that just did not sit well with her. The seemingly random attack, the lack of evidence and motive, the sudden disappearance of the attacker. None of it made sense. Bella was one of the most gentle souls in the world, why her?

She drew in a lungful of air and tried to calm her racing thoughts. It would do her no good to get herself worked up into a frenzy. She needed to remain calm and level-headed if she was going to be supportive of Bella. She also had to find a way to tell Edward about the locket. It was something he should know about, after all, he had given it to her and it meant as much to him as it did to her. He was going to be extremely upset when he heard the news.

"Alice, are you ready?" Rosalie asked, giving her a curious look.

"Sure, Edward and Emmett are probably ready to charge up here and drag us outside," she grinned, mentally pushing her fears down into the deepest, darkest recesses of her mind. There would be time to revisit them later. "Let's do this."

**~*~*~***

Edward snuck another glance at Bella and felt his heart perform an accelerated quick-step. She was incredibly beautiful. He knew that had he been alone with her, he would not have been able to contain himself. Her sweet, pink lips were just begging him to fit his over hers; to take just a taste of what had been his so long ago. He clutched the fork in a death grip and was relieved that no one seemed to be paying him the slightest bit of attention.

When she had descended the stairs earlier, he was completely speechless. He had never seen such a beautiful sight, and the fact that she seemed so incredibly shy and embarrassed by all the compliments she received, made her even more appealing.

The restaurant was one of the best in Seattle and the view was spectacular. Situated in one of the tallest buildings in the city, _La Volterra_ had been awarded the coveted 3-Star Michelin award in the past year. Its food, ambience and décor were rated one of the highest in the country, and people flocked from all over to have the opportunity to dine there. Because of its popularity, the minimum booking time was usually six months in advance, but Carlisle had used his influence and friendship with the owner to secure them one of the best tables in the house.

The night had been unseasonably warm for this time of year, but he was thankful, as they were situated in the private open air lounge of the restaurant reserved for the best customers who wanted privacy, but did not desire to be completely cut off from the other diners. The location afforded them the view of the entire Seattle skyline and in the distance, Mount Rainier stood with quiet reverence. The lights from the other surrounding buildings and residences twinkled like a million brightly lit stars. A light breeze blew and whipped Bella's hair into her face. She brushed it back with a small, dainty wave of her wrist and continued to converse eagerly with Jasper, who was sitting beside Alice.

Jasper was grinning as if he had won the lottery and was sneaking glances at Alice who was laughing at something Emmett had said. It was obvious that the poor bastard had fallen hard and fast for the tiny pest, and Edward felt pity for his friend. He knew what it was like to fall hard for a particular person. Where the very air you breathed seemed less important than the person who made your days all that much brighter.

To say that he had been surprised by Jasper's appearance at the restaurant would have been putting it mildly. Apparently Alice and Jasper had been seeing each other on and off for the past three weeks. She had even gone to watch his band, _The Wild Aces_ play their first big gig at _The Mortuary_, the night club where groups like Matchbox Twenty and Nickleback had first had their big break. He had been so engrossed in the Black case that he had neglected to realize Alice's absences from the house. He looked at Bella and wondered what else he had missed during these past three weeks.

He suddenly felt someone's eyes on him and turned to look in Alice's direction. She was watching him with a worried expression, but when she realized she had been caught staring, she quickly averted her eyes. That was not the first time that night she had done that, and Edward made a mental note to speak with her later.

The waiter came over and began to clear the remnants of their dinner away. As the dessert course of the meal was being served, Alice began to tell them about the difficulties she was experiencing in finding a prime location to set up her café. She and Bella had gone to a few places, but they were either too expensive, too small or way off the beaten path where customer traffic would be low or practically non-existent.

Somewhere in between there, Edward tuned out and returned to watching Bella from beneath his lashes. She was busy listening to Alice, her chin cradled by the palm of her hand, her elbow acted as an anchor. This gave him an uninterrupted view of the graceful curve of her neck, and her scent assailed him. She smelled so incredibly mouthwatering that he began to beg God for restraint. He felt his body harden painfully, and he shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

"Well, Alice, I think I have a solution for you," Carlisle was saying, and Edward blinked. He had obviously missed something, "I've got a friend who owns a building just a little ways down from the hospital. One of his tenants moved out last month and the space is vacant. I could set up a meeting for you to go see the spot, decide if you like it, and then you and Dan can work out all the details. What do you think?"

Alice clapped her hands, got up and threw her arms around Carlisle's neck, kissing him soundly on the cheek. "Thank you. That would be perfect."

"You're welcome," Carlisle laughed, his cheeks slightly pink. "If I knew I would get that kind of thanks, I would have made the suggestion ages ago."

They all laughed and Edward relaxed and looked around at the members of his family. He sighed as contentment settled over him like a warm, comfortable blanket. Seeing everyone together now, the atmosphere filled with so much love and camaraderie, he realized that he had done a great disservice to his family all those years ago. He had selfishly abandoned them, and that was something they never would have done to him. In fact, they had not, but he had been so caught up in his own misery, that he had failed to see the one he had inflicted upon them.

Now seeing how everyone interacted with each other, their love for each other almost a tangible thing, he began to think that maybe he was falling into the same trap again. Selfishly, he had made a unilateral decision that was slowly tearing them apart bit by bit. He had asked them to deceive someone they loved dearly – Bella. It wasn't fair to them and it definitely was not fair to her.

His eyes roamed slowly over her, taking in every curve and facet of her face. She turned to him and gifted him with a smile so brilliant and heart-stopping, that it took his breath away. Momentarily forgetting that they were surrounded by people, he reached across the short distance and entangled his fingers with hers. She raised a surprised eyebrow, but did not pull away. This pleased him because even if he wanted to, he could not pull away, he just had to touch her.

With increasing frequency, he found that whenever he was in close proximity to her, the urge to hold her, kiss her would take over his higher brain functions, and all good intentions and common sense shot clear out the door.

So, he had come to the conclusion that he needed to take a leap of faith; he needed to be honest with Bella. Tell her everything and be there to accept whatever consequences came with it. The incident at the dock brought him to this place. He realized that he was incapable of hiding his feelings and he didn't want to anymore. He loved her and wanted her back in his life, but the only way he could make this work was to lay every crumpled and battered card in his deck on the table, and risk losing it all. It was the biggest gamble he would ever take, but the prize was definitely worth it. He needed to feel whole again. He needed the light to return to his life, but most of all, he craved that piece of his soul that had left three years ago, and had returned damaged and broken.

He hoped that the foundation of their newfound friendship was strong enough to weather them through the storm he anticipated was coming. The rest, they could work on as time went by and they grew stronger and healed together.

He closed his eyes and curbed the impulse to grab Bella, drag her off to some secluded corner and tell her the truth. That method might prove to have disastrous results. Now that he had finally made the decision, he needed to think about how best to address the obvious issues. He needed to break the news to her carefully and not just throw it into her lap. He needed to be delicate, diplomatic.

Edward was still trying to work out the fine details of his plan in his head, when he heard a voice call his name. At first he though Bella was trying to get his attention, but when he opened his eyes and looked at her, she was busy taking a bite of her White Chocolate Raspberry Mousse. The voice sounded again and turning in his chair, his heart thudded to a halt and then plummeted into his feet. Making her way towards him with uncanny speed despite the height of the heels she wore, was a tall, curvaceous brunette. He abruptly let go of Bella's hand and stood up with such haste that it sent his napkin flying from his lap and onto the floor.

The conversation at the table drew to an abrupt halt, as the woman threw herself at him and kissed him passionately on the mouth. He felt himself stumble backwards under her weight, and feeling himself losing the battle with gravity, grabbed at the closest solid object, which just happened to be the woman's rear end. He heard a muted gasp from behind him, but was in no position to find out who had issued it.

Finding his footing, he quickly released his fleshy anchor and reaching up, untangled the woman's arms from around his neck and broke the contact of their lips. Not to be deterred, she wrapped her now free arms back around his neck and hugged him tightly.

"Eddie, I thought that was you!" she exclaimed and relinquishing her hold, pointed in the direction she had just come from. "I told Amber that looked like you."

Edward reluctantly followed her direction and saw a woman with blonde hair watching them from the alcove beside the indoor fountain. She smiled and gave a brief wave before disappearing into the area reserved for bar patrons.

"Jordan, what are you doing here?" he croaked, his voice sounding particularly high and reedy.

"I'm in town for a few days to participate in a showcase being held by the Seattle Art Museum," she gushed, clearly misunderstanding his question. She entangled her fingers in the hair at the nape of his neck. "They have this big exhibition planned and asked me to contribute a few pieces. I just got in from New York yesterday, and said I would give you a call tomorrow. Wow, it must be fate or something that we met up tonight."

Fate? That's not exactly what Edward would call it; more like supernatural bad luck. Talk about having your own, personal _'Oh Shit' _moment. The occupants at the table were still silent, which was not a good sign. He craned his neck slightly to the left and his eyes met Bella's. Her rosy complexion had disappeared, and was now a shade between chalk and toothpaste. Her eyes were luminous as she watched the display. It was at that exact moment that he knew he was in serious trouble. He felt something coming and it was something he was powerless to stop. He had to get Jordan away from there as quickly as possible without grabbing her by the hair and dragging her across the floor. That would definitely not go down well with his family, or the other patrons of the restaurant. As it was, they were attracting a bit of attention and Edward felt his desperation amplify. This was not going to end well if he did not quickly regain control of the situation.

"Fate…hmmm." he mumbled, fighting for something logical to say.

Jordan stroked his jaw and then trailed her finger down his chest, stopping just short of his belt buckle. He swallowed painfully and jerked away from her touch as her finger dipped lower.

That was when he heard it. A small, muted cry and he knew it had come from Bella. He glanced at her again and found that she was completely preoccupied with the napkin in her lap. The piece of material was clenched tightly in her fist.

"Well, yeah. I mean after the last night we spent together, that's what I would call it." She giggled and rubbed her breasts against him, clueless as to what her announcement signified. "What happened? I woke up and you were gone?"

That did it. He heard a gasp, the sound of someone choking, another soft cry, and he knew it was all over. His night had officially gone to shit in a hand basket. He quickly extracted himself from Jordan's hold and kept her at bay with both hands planted firmly on her shoulders. He felt a slight disturbance in the air around him as someone pushed past him and when he turned to Bella, she had vanished. Alice glared at him, threw her napkin down angrily on the table, and stalked away in the direction Bella had gone.

Emmett's mouth had fallen open and Rosalie was busy placing her index finger under his chin and pushing the two halves of his jaw shut, while his parents were just sitting there in stunned silence. Jasper had his elbow on the table, and his hand covered his mouth. He removed his hand, shook his head and silently mouthed _"Oh shit."_

_That's putting it lightly,_ Edward thought and catching Jordan by the elbow, directed her away from the table and out of the ear shot of anyone else. She seemed genuinely puzzled by his sudden departure, but then comprehension dawned on her face. She looked over his shoulder and saw the five people watching them in varying degrees of shock.

"Oh my God, Eddie, I'm so sorry," she cried, when they drew to a halt beside a large potted plant. "I didn't see them. I was just so happy to see you…" she trailed off when he held up his hand for silence.

"The damage is already done, so apologies aren't necessary," he said through gritted teeth. "I'd like to say it was nice to see you again, but under the circumstances that would be a lie. Good luck with you exhibition and please, don't call me again."

He turned, and headed in the direction Bella and Alice had disappeared to only moments before. He ended up in a spacious hallway with a lighted sign on the wall, directing patrons to the wash rooms. He knocked on the door of the women's bathroom and then pushed the door hesitantly. He managed to catch a brief glimpse of Alice before the door was slammed in his face. He stepped back just in time to avoid having his nose broken.

"Piss off, Edward," Alice snapped, and he swore he heard her mutter behind the closed door "_Prick!"_

He huffed in frustration, and leaning against the wall a little ways down from the door, took up a sentry position. If Alice thought he was moving one foot before he spoke to Bella, then she was sadly mistaken. Shoving his hands into the pockets of his pants, he placed his head against the wall, and stared up at the mosaic ceiling.

_Talk about your past coming back to bite you in the ass._ He had slipped up with Jordan – just once, and now he was paying for it. One blind date courtesy of James, another regular date, a night of having a bit too much to drink and he had awoken in Jordan's apartment the next morning to find her naked body wrapped around his like a pretzel. At first he couldn't think what had happened, but then the fragments had come filtering back piece by disturbing piece. If he thought what had happened had been the result of an alcoholic induced nightmare, the discarded condom wrapper he had found stuck to his hip as he tip-toed around the room gathering the various bits and pieces of his clothing, was a dead giveaway. He had been horrified, and hastily scribbling a note – the contents of which he could not remember, he had left.

That was six months ago, and whenever she had called, he had found some excuse not to talk to her. It wasn't that he was the "get some and leave" type of guy, but he was extremely ashamed of his behavior. He was not prone to having one night stands, and he definitely had had no desire to cultivate a serious relationship with anyone.

The day he had received the call informing him of Bella's injuries had been the last time he had spoken to Jordan. She had called him in the midst of him making travel arrangements to fly out the very next morning. Admittedly, he had not been the most polite person in the world, but he had told her that he had a family emergency out-of-state and was unsure when he would return. She had been disappointed, but had seemed resigned to the fact that what had happened between them was a one-shot deal. There would be no repeats; at least that's what he thought – until tonight.

Now after all this time, Fate had decided to step in, get nasty and screw him royally, just when things were going so well. Damn Murphy and his frigging law. He caught a flash of Bella's face in his mind, and he groaned. She had looked so disappointed; so hurt.

Two women came down the hallway, gave him appreciative looks before giggling, and disappearing into the bathroom. At least Alice let them in without incident. He sighed. They had to come out sometime and when they did, he would be waiting.

**~*~*~***

Bella blew her nose, dropped the tissue into the toilet and pulled the lever. The swirling waters quickly sucked it away and she drew in a deep breath. She had lost track of how long she had been in there, hidden away from the world, but she was in no hurry to leave. Sometime ago, she had heard Alice's voice pleading with her to let her in, but now there was complete silence. Maybe she had rejoined the rest of the Cullens, and right now they were probably out there waiting for her. She placed her ear against the door and hearing no sound to indicate a presence, unlocked the door and stepped out into a room the size of a small bedroom.

"Well, it's about time," a voice said, shocking Bella and causing her to stumble. "I was going to give you five more minutes, and then I was calling the manager to break the door down, if necessary."

Bella whipped around in the direction of the voice and saw Alice sitting cross-legged on a leather couch. She had slipped off her shoes and was rocking slowly back and forth, a box of tissues on her lap.

"I thought you had left," Bella accused, making her way over to the sink and switching the faucet into the "on" position. The water spewed out and she cupped her hand beneath the flow. She brought the handful of water to her face and scrubbed vigorously.

"Yes, I know you did. It was the only way I was going to get you out of the toilet," Alice said dryly. "You haven't changed that much."

Bella remained silent, but continued to wash her face as if it was the most important job in the world. After a couple minutes of this, Alice stood up, went over to her friend's side and turned the faucet off. Bella froze and straightened slowly. When she did, Alice held out a bunch of tissues.

"Thank you," Bella whispered, wiping the moisture from her face.

"Are you okay?" Alice asked, concern for her friend evident on her tone.

Bella gave her a wane smile. Her eyes were red and puffy and even if Alice had not heard her heart-rending sobs, it was obvious that she had been crying. She took her friend's cold fingers in hers and led her over to one of the seats. She sat her down and then began to empty the contents of her purse beside her. An array of cosmetics and grooming items fell out and Bella gave her a questioning look, but otherwise remained silent.

"Can't have you going out there looking like a train wreck," Alice teased gently, and began to apply concealer to the puffy areas around Bella's eyes.

A hysterical bubble of laughter escaped Bella's lips, and Alice patted her comfortingly on the shoulder. It was important that Bella knew she understood and was there for her.

Within a few minutes, Alice had repaired most of the damaged done by Bella's crying session. However, there was very little she could do about the red eyes, but other than Bella looking as if she had had an allergic reaction to something, she was fit to re-join society.

"Now, that's much better," Alice concluded and began putting her stuff back inside the bag.

Bella examined her face and was surprised to see the change in comparison to a few minutes ago when she looked like a punching bag. She turned to Alice and gave her a hug. She then pulled away and gave her friend an apologetic look.

"Alice…" she began, feeling the need to explain, but Alice placed a finger over her lips, silencing her.

"It's okay. We'll talk later, when you're ready," Alice whispered. "Now let's get back outside. Everyone is probably starting to worry."

Bella drew in a deep breath and thought about facing Edward. As she thought about him and remembered the conversation, she felt her heart contract painfully. She wondered what had happened after she left. _Did he and Jordan continue their little reconciliation? What had everyone thought?_ Well, she was definitely about to find out.

**~*~*~***

Edward shifted from a state of dormancy, to one of alertness in a split second as he heard the opening of the bathroom door. As the door was being pushed, he had his hand upon the handle and was yanking it open. Alice stumbled forward with a little cry, but quickly righted herself. Realizing that Edward was the reason for her almost spill, she glared at him. Bella, not realizing what was happening, stepped out into the hallway and froze when she caught sight of Edward.

"Edward –" Alice warned and made a protective movement as if to step between him and Bella. "Just leave her alone."

Edward gave her a hard look and she immediately fell silent, but continued to stare angrily at him. _What the heck! _he thought, s_ince when did Bella need protection from him?_ He felt anger stir inside him as the incredulity of the situation hit home.

"Shut up, Alice," he growled. Taking Bella gently by the arm, he steered her away from Alice and brought her to a slightly more private area of the hallway. She didn't resist, but when they drew to a halt, she yanked her arm away. Her strength and reaction surprised him.

"What?" she asked, anger dripping from her voice.

Edward ran his hand through his hair and sighed. "We need to talk…" he began, feeling as if the walls were closing in around him.

Bella was staring at him with unfriendly eyes. Actually, her eyes were red; almost as if she had been crying. He reached out to touch the side of her face, but she pulled away before his fingers could make contact.

She raised an impatient eyebrow. "What about?"

Edward shoved his hands into his pants pockets and balled them into fists. He needed to find something to occupy his hands before he did something stupid like grabbing her and kissing her senseless. Physical assault was not the way to get someone to listen to what you had to say.

"About Jordan…what you heard…" he trailed off when something flashed in Bella's eyes – something which made him feel like the lowest scum on Earth.

She was silent for the moment of a heart beat and then she shrugged nonchalantly. "There's nothing to talk about. What you do is none of my business."

Hurt and disappointment flitted across Edward's face, but Bella remained composed even though her heart was breaking. She didn't want to cause him pain, but she had to think about herself.

At that precise moment, a group of women appeared in the hall and Edward had to step away from Bella and press himself onto the wall to allow them passage. When they had finally trooped by, Edward turned to continue his conversation with Bella, but she was no where to be seen, and neither was Alice. He muttered a curse and grudgingly made his way back out to the table.

**~*~*~***

The elevator ride down to the ground floor was made in complete silence. It was the tense, uneasy kind of silence which usually heralded an explosion. Bella was located a row across, sandwiched between his mother and Alice, and Edward could swear they were acting as bodyguards against _him_. To test his theory, he moved behind his father and was almost there when Emmett took one step backwards and blocked his path. He looked at his brother in disbelief, but Emmett was staring directly ahead. He shifted and tried to get past him, but Emmett refused to budge.

Now this was just ridiculous, he couldn't believe the members of his family had ganged up against him.

Emmett seemed to read his thoughts because he sighed, and shook his head as if to say, _You really messed up._

He frowned. He knew he had messed up, but did everyone have to make him feel worse for it? Realizing he was being ostracized, he stood there and silently fumed for the rest of the ride.

The door slid open and everyone marched out, leaving him behind. He grumbled and stepped out just as the door slammed shut, almost catching his foot. He turned and glared at it. _Seems like everything has decided to form an alliance against me tonight._

By the time they reached the front doors and stepped into the rapidly cooling climate, which Seattle was so famous for, Emmett's Ford Expedition was sitting on the curb. The valet was handing over the keys. Either restaurant personnel were super efficient, or someone had called down to ensure there were no delays in their departure. More than likely, it was the latter, and this infuriated Edward even more.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Alice break formation and go over to Jasper. He leaned down, she whispered something in his ear and he smiled. He kissed her cheek and then waved goodbye to everyone else and crossed the street to his car.

Edward took advantage of Alice's preoccupation to position himself where he could sit beside Bella and talk to her on the ride home. However, Rosalie stepped into his path, opened the front passenger door and ushered Bella inside. He stared in disbelief at Rosalie as she slid into the seat which Bella had occupied earlier; the seat directly beside him. Even Rose was against him and that stung. They had always been close and it hurt that she would turn on him so quickly. He had made one lousy mistake and here he was being treated like Typhoid Mary.

He took his seat and crossed his arms across his chest, all the while looking like a bad-tempered child. He could tell that this was going to be a long ride home and he was not going to enjoy it one little bit.

**~*~*~***

Bella pulled the blanket closer around her body and leaned back against the side of her bed. The carpeted ground felt firm against her back side, but in comparison to the other pain she was feeling, it was nothing. After trying unsuccessfully for the past two hours to find a comfortable spot in the bed, she had given up and decided that since the floor looked more appealing, she'd just go there.

She reached back on the bed and dragging a pillow to her, positioned it beneath her neck in an attempt to quell the dull ache which had begun shortly before they had left the restaurant. It was the type of ache that left unattended, would develop into another one of her nasty headaches. She really should go downstairs and take a couple of painkillers before the pain reached that level, but she was afraid. That was the last place she had seen Edward before fleeing up the stairs and into her room when they arrived home.

From the time they had stepped through the door, Edward had tried to talk to her. But she was still so raw inside that she had tried her best to get away from him by claiming that she was tired. He hadn't bought it, and continued to dog her every step until Alice intervened. Alice had told him in no uncertain terms that he should stop bothering her, he had replied in the negative and then the shouting had begun. They were still in the middle of it when Bella, being the coward she was, took cover in her room.

She was still having flashbacks of the tall, leggy brunette plastering herself all over Edward. Kissing the very lips that she wanted to kiss, and announcing to the world that they had been sleeping together. Ugh! The memories were even more vivid than the actual incident. She had also observed that when he saw the woman approaching, he had dropped her hand like a hot rock.

She angrily brushed away the traitor tears which had managed to make their way onto her cheeks. Why should she give a damn about who Edward was sleeping with? Why should she care that he had lied to her? Why should she care that someone else had known a level of intimacy with him that she would never know, but could only dream of? She sighed dejectedly. She really shouldn't care, but she did and it was ripping a hole inside her chest.

She was still sitting like that a few minutes when the first tentacles of sleep began to pull her under. She fought its influence, but in the end it proved to be too strong and she began to drift.

The sound of the door closing was like a gunshot in the quiet, dark room, rousing Bella from her sleep. For a few seconds she looked around disoriented and then looked at the large red numbers of the alarm clock on the bed side table. It read 3:26AM. She shifted to a more comfortable position, and probably would have returned to sleep had she not heard her name being whispered in the dark. She peeped over the top of the bed and caught a shadowy glimpse of Alice through the gloom. She was patting the bed looking for evidence of her sleeping friend.

"Damn it Bella, where the heck are you?" she whispered furiously, yanking the remaining covers off the bed.

"I'm over here," she said, her voice hoarse from crying and sleep.

Alice came around the side of the bed and plunked her pajama-clad body on the floor beside Bella. She grabbed one end of the blanket and snuggled beneath it. One of her feet came in contact with Bella's and she yelped, immediately withdrawing her foot.

"Put some socks on, your feet are freezing," Alice complained, shivering.

Bella sighed. "My room, my feet. If you have a problem then you are perfectly free to leave. I won't stop you."

"Hmph!" Alice grumbled, and pushed Bella's head so that they both shared the pillow. "What are you doing down here anyway?"

"Couldn't sleep," she said stifling a yawn behind her hand. "What about you? I thought you would be out cold long ago."

Alice shook her head. "I couldn't sleep either. I was worried about you."

Alice's concern brought a fresh wave of tears to Bella's eyes and she wiped them away before they could fall. She sniffed and rubbed fretfully at her nose.

Alice reached out and entangled her fingers with Bella's. She knew Bella was hurting and unfortunately, so was Edward. During their earlier argument, he had explained exactly what had happened. However, it was not her place to tell Bella. That was something they needed to deal with between themselves.

"Its okay, Bella," she assured. "It's not easy being in love with someone and being told that they're sleeping with someone."

At the words "in love with", Bella stiffened and Alice chuckled. Did Bella really think her so obtuse that she wouldn't see the signs? She might be short, but she wasn't stupid.

"Just thought I would get that out there," Alice said quietly, "I've known it for quite a while."

Bella gulped. "H-how?"

Alice shrugged. "I just do. You're my best friend, remember?" Then she giggled, "Plus, every time you're in a room with him, I feel the need to crack open a window."

Despite being horrified beyond words that Alice had been able to read her so easily, she gave a little laugh, feeling her face grow warm. Her laughter then turned into sobs, great heaving sobs that shook her body, as she continued to cry as if her heart would break.

"Oh, Alice," she moaned, resting her head on Alice's shoulder. "What am I going to do?"

Alice was silent for a few minutes and then she answered. "What are you doing for the next couple of days?"

Bella sniffed and shook her head. "Nothing, why?"

"I want you to pack a bag. We're leaving tomorrow."

Bella raised herself up on her arms and stared at Alice in shock. She would never have expected her to give up so easily and run away.

"Where are we going?" she asked, even though he had hurt her, she wasn't sure she was ready to be apart from Edward.

"Home," Alice answered plainly.

"To Canada?"

Alice shook her head and continued to stare off into the darkness. "No, we're going to Forks. I've got some business to finish up there and I want you to come with me, but on one condition…"

Bella raised an eyebrow suspiciously. She had become extremely wary of Alice's conditions, as they usually involved her doing something out of the ordinary. "What?"

"_You_ have to tell Edward."

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~***


	19. Whatever It Takes

**A/N: So here I am again with another installment of **_'A Second Chance at Love'_**. I was extremely pleased that so many people enjoyed the last chapter. I also want to thank those who have stuck by me as I know sometimes the story seemed to drag its feet. I am quickening the pace now, so a lot of questions should soon be answered.**

**Anyhow, not much of an Author's note today, but I still think it necessary to thank a few people who continue to motivate me with their kind words.**

_Ryuurei01_**(missed your reviews. Thought you had abandoned me LOL. It's great to have you back), **_Malan09_ **(sorry about the cliffy),** _Ltanya1974_ **(not sure how many, but definitely will not go pass 40. Thanks a million for your multiple reviews),** _trickle_**,** _stupid-volvo-owner_**,** _Sammy73_**,** _1lovelypengiun_**,** _whitewolf29_**,** _llg5437_ **(you are most welcome),** _Jadalulu_**,** _broe_**,** _dreampills_ **(yeah, karma can sometimes be a bitch) and** _ChOcOlAtE rAiNbOw Cd'S_.

**I also want to thank my wonderful friend and Beta m244robp. Thanks girlie, could not have done it without you.**

**The song for this chapter is **_'Whatever It Takes'_** by **_Lifehouse_** and coincidentally, happens to be the name of the chapter. Enjoy and let me know your thoughts.**

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~***

**Chapter 18 – Whatever It Takes**

"You're what?" Edward bellowed, towering over Bella and Alice as they sat at the table. His fingers dug into the hard, textured wood of the table as if he wanted to rip giant chunks from it. The tempo of his breathing increased and it was clear to see that he was extremely agitated.

"I said, I'm going to Forks." Bella repeated, as she looked up into his stormy eyes.

"B-but that makes absolutely no sense," he spluttered, his face slightly red. He turned to Alice who was watching the exchange in silence. "Alice, please, talk some sense into her."

Alice held her hands up, pushed back the chair and stood quickly. She stretched and then grabbed the discarded newspaper she had been reading moments ago, before Bella made her announcement.

"Look, I'm not getting in the middle of this. As far as I'm concerned, Bella is an adult and perfectly capable of making her own decisions."

Edward open-mouthed, stared at Alice. If there was one person who he expected would have seen the negative aspects of this, it would have been Alice. This was so unlike her. So much so, that the first fingers of suspicion began to prod him.

It was unlikely Bella would leave and go to Forks by herself. She remembered nothing about the town or her life there. Furthermore, she didn't know the first thing about getting there. Why the sudden urge to run off to a place where she no longer had any ties? A place which would be filled with strangers. The answer was simple…Alice. This had to be her idea.

"This is your idea, isn't it?" he asked, his voice dangerously low and controlled. He got his answer when Alice remained silent.

Bella immediately bristled at Edward's accusation. "Edward, stop! I am perfectly capable of making decisions for myself."

"So you're telling me that Alice "Busy-Body" here, had nothing to do with your decision to suddenly run off to Forks?" he asked, sarcasm dripping from his voice.

Alice slammed the newspaper down and opened her mouth to give a scathing reply, but was silenced by Bella's hand on her arm.

"Alice has some business to attend to in Forks and I decided to go along," Bella reasoned, her voice hiding the tumult of emotions which raged inside. "There's nothing wrong with that, and I think you owe Alice an apology." Bella's cool reprimand brought Edward up short and he coloured even further.

He was silent, suddenly embarrassed by his behavior. He had no right to take out his frustrations and anger on Alice; she had done nothing to deserve it. If she had made the suggestion, then there was probably a good reason for it. He rubbed the back of his neck and turned to Alice. She glared at him, with her arms held stiffly at her sides, and her fists clenched.

"I'm sorry Alice, I was way out of line," he apologized sullenly.

"Right," she said, her posture relaxing somewhat. She sniffed and turned to Bella. "I need to pack. I'll be upstairs if you need me."

Before she left the kitchen, she gave Edward a look which said "Make things right". He nodded his understanding of her silent command.

He turned to Bella and watched as she cleared away her dishes and brought them over to the sink. She was about to turn the faucet on when he reached out and caught her hands. She stiffened, but did not look at him. While the obvious snub hit him hard, he did not let go.

"Bella, look at me," he pleaded gently. "Please."

Bella gathered her resolve and did as he asked. He looked incredibly sad. Had he not been holding her hands, she would have reached out and tried to smooth away the frown lines from between his eyebrows.

"Are you leaving because of me? Because of what happened last night?"

His mention of "last night" brought to the surface all the things she was trying so hard to forget. She blinked as she felt her eyes burn and she shook her head.

"No," she lied, trying to extract her hands from his grasp, but to no avail.

"I don't believe you," he stated flatly.

Anger flared from deep inside Bella's soul and with the strength lent to her by anger, she yanked her hands away from his. _How dare he accuse her of lying?_

"_You _don't believe _me_?" she barked, ironic laughter lacing her voice. "That's rich Edward, really rich."

Edward looked completely surprised by the level of venom coating her words. She stared at him scornfully.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means, you're really not in a position to accuse someone of lying when you do it so well," she spat, turning and limping out of the room as quickly as she could.

Edward caught up with her at the bottom of the stairs and grabbed her arm to halt her ascent. She tried to jerk her arm from his hold, but he was having none of it. He held on all the more.

"Let. Me. Go," she warned, emphasizing each word.

Edward shook his head. "No! You just want to run away again and I won't let you. I have something to say and you will listen."

The firmness of his voice stunned her and she ceased trying to extract her arm from the manacle that was his grip. He had never spoken to her in that tone. It came as a bit of a shock to her.

"What happened last night was," he paused. "Unfortunate, but I want to make one thing perfectly clear, I never lied to you."

Bella scoffed. "Oh, so you and Jordan aren't sleeping together?" she huffed. "Look, when I asked you if you were seeing anyone there was no need to lie. I would have just given you your space."

Edward groaned and ran his free hand through his hair and down his face. "Okay, yes, Jordan and I slept together - once. But I never lied to you. I'm not seeing anyone."

If he thought that his admission made her feel any better then he was sorely mistaken. The look she threw him was filled with disdain. "You make it a habit of sleeping with strange women?" she spat and immediately felt sorrow for her harsh words. He looked hurt and releasing her arm, took a step away from her.

"I guess you don't know me as well as I thought you did," he whispered, clearly disappointed. "But you know what? I'm human, Bella, and sometimes we make mistakes. My night with Jordan was just that - a mistake. I can't erase it, but I can learn from it."

Edward's quietly spoken words were like having a bowl of ice cold water thrown in her face. She felt some of the anger seep out of her, but a dull, throbbing ache remained.

"Look, go to Forks if you must, but don't on account of me," Edward reasoned. "Don't let last night be the deciding factor."

Bella sighed, trying to decide how to best explain her need to leave without actually telling him the entire truth. Now was not the time to let any unwanted information slip.

"It is the reason--" she began.

"Bella--"

She held up her hand. "But not for the reason you think." With difficulty she sat on the bottom step and gestured for him to follow her lead. When he did, she continued. "From the time I woke up in that hospital, you have been my one constant. You've become the center of my world. That's a pretty big responsibility for someone to shoulder, especially if they never asked for it. It's not fair to you."

He shrugged. "I'm not complaining."

Bella smiled sadly. "I know that, but what happens when the next Jordan comes along and you pass her over because of some misguided loyalty you feel towards me? Years from now you'll look back and hate me."

His eyes softened and he smiled gently. "Bella, I could never…"

Bella placed her hand over his mouth, silencing him. "No, please listen. I need to say this," He nodded. Reluctantly, she took her hand away. "While it's not fair to you, it's also not fair to me. I need to find out who I am. I need to meet that girl that grew up in Forks; the one who stands before you now. But I can't do that if I stay here taking photographs and just hiding away. Maybe Forks holds some of the answers I've been looking for, but I won't know unless I go."

"H-how do you know you'll like what you find?" he asked hesitantly. He thought about what could happen if something triggered her memory while she was far away from him. He wouldn't be able to help her deal with the fall out. Neither would he be there to explain and stop her from hating him.

His question made her pause, but then she shook her head resolutely. "I don't, but I'll never know if I don't try; understand?"

Bella watched as Edward sat silent for a few moments. He then took her hand in his, raised it to his lips and kissed the back. Her eyes widened as awareness shot through the nerve endings of her hand and raced up into her brain. He pulled her nerveless body to him and kissed her forehead.

"Go," he said, his voice rough. "Go to Forks and find yourself. I'll be here when you return."

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~***

Bella stepped across the threshold of Kate's Diner and immediately a sense of déjà vu assailed her. The atmosphere inside was festive with patrons sitting at the various tables or at the bar, all engaged in conversation. The placed smelled of spice, pine, ginger and some sort of household cleaning agent. All together the fragrance was pleasant and made Bella suddenly feel nostalgic.

She took off her coat and shook off the damp residue outside. The rain had been drizzling steadily for the past two hours and the air smelt crisp and clean. The heady scent of damp earth and lush green vegetation seemed to be a permanent fixture in the atmosphere.

As they approached the town limits, a thick fog swirled through the tightly knit trees and across the road at intervals. It had cleared up, but the outside still had a misty, surreal quality to it.

Bella closed the door behind her and followed Alice to a table in the corner, close to a large window. As she sat, the people outside and the various cars travelling to and fro, called her attention.

Forks was not exactly a thriving metropolis, but more of a close-knit, family-oriented town with just over 3,250 residents. It was the sort of place where one could raise a family in peace and tranquility. Recently, the tranquility of this sleepy town had been disrupted by the filming of a movie. Production had been completed a few months earlier, but the second installment was due to begin early next year.

Bella had forgotten the name of the movie, but its popularity had placed Forks squarely on the map. Fans arrived in droves, all expecting to submerge themselves in a slice of movie history.

As a couple of people entered the diner, Bella and Alice perused the plastic coated menus shaped like bottles. There was a variety of choices and all sounded very good. Bella decided on the Caesar Salad with Grilled Chicken Strips, a slice of Chocolate Cake and a Coke. Her stomach rumbled loudly and Alice giggled.

"Sounds like you have a bear in there."

Bella rolled her eyes and threw her napkin at her. "Funny. I'm starving."

As if overhearing their conversation, a waitress approached. She took a small notepad and pencil from the back pocket of her jeans and smiled welcomingly. She looked about eighteen with dark brown, almost black hair, and wore braces.

"Hi, I'm Janice. Welcome to Kate's, are you ready to order?" Her eyes went from Alice to Bella and she froze. Her eyes widened and then she quickly excused herself and disappeared from sight.

'What was that all about?" Bella wondered.

Alice stared after Janice with a thoughtful look on her face. "There's something I should have told you about this place--" she began, but was interrupted by the return of Janice along with an older woman with salt and pepper hair. One could tell they were related due to the resemblance.

"Hello, Alice," she greeted, and then turned to Bella. "Isabella Swan." Her voice trembled.

Bella squirmed under the woman's intense stare. "Yes. Can I help you?"

The woman looked confused, but then Alice stepped in. "Bella, this is Kate. Kate used to be friends with Renee."

Bella placed her hands over her mouth, dumbfounded. In addition to being confused, the woman looked disappointed that Bella did not remember her. This made her feel even worse.

"I'm sorry," Bella apologized. "I had an accident a few months ago and a lot of things are a blank."

Understanding shone in Kate's eyes, and sitting in the empty chair beside Bella, she reached over and caught her hands in her own. Bella noticed that in comparison to hers, Kate's hands were extremely warm.

"Yes, I heard about it," she said sadly. "Janice was in Vancouver a while ago, but when she went looking for you, you were gone."

"That's probably because I moved back to Washington a few weeks ago."

"That's good. Coming home to family always helps," Kate nodded. "So, how are you?" She looked down at the cane which rested beside Bella's chair.

"Other than the bum leg, and the amnesia, I'm doing okay," Bella said with false bravado.

It was now Kate's turn to look guilty. "Oh my, I'm so sorry. Is the loss permanent?"

Bella should have felt uncomfortable answering this woman's questions. After all, she was a stranger, but she did not feel any sort of apprehension, just a warm, familiar feeling as if they were old friends.

"Hopefully not. That's one of the reasons I came back. I guess I need to find myself."

Kate smiled brightly. "Well, this town holds a lot of memories, so you should get something. Feel free to come and talk to me while you're here, maybe I can help. Also, you're both welcome to eat for free anytime you like." Alice and Bella began to protest, but Kate was having none of it. "It's the least I can do. Without your mom, God rest her soul, I wouldn't be here today." She leaned over and gave Bella a warm hug.

"Thank you," Bella said, feeling overwhelmed by Kate's generosity.

"Anytime," she said, standing. She looked at both Alice and Bella, giving them another beaming smile. "It's always good to have our girls back home again."

After Kate had taken her leave and Janice had taken their orders, Bella sat back and looked around. As her curious eyes roamed, she caught sight of an old-fashioned jukebox. Unable to stop herself, she rose and made her way over to it.

It was a throwback from the 1960's and she ran her fingers over the smooth surface. As if on auto-pilot, she reached into the pocket of her jeans, extracted a coin and slipped it into the slot. Her finger pressed the number '11' and as the music of Dean Martin singing _'Ain't That A Kick In The Head'_ began to play, she felt herself drowning in a sea of emotions and memories.

**~*~*~***

Suddenly she wasn't an adult anymore, but a child no more than six years old. She reached up and felt her hair. It was longer now and pulled back into a neat French braid. She looked down at her body and saw she was now clothed in red leggings and a red and black stripped shirt. The one thing which struck her was how incredibly close to the floor she was. _Had she really been that short?_

She looked around the diner, picking up on subtle differences in the décor, and noticed it was devoid of life. A part of her knew this was a dream; a memory. The other part of her held on to it selfishly. She didn't care what it was; she just knew she was exactly where she wanted to be.

She raised her arms and twirled in time to the music. Her younger voice hummed and stumbled over a few words. Some of them she made up, but she was just happy to have some input into one of her favorite songs.

Bella continued to dance around the room, weaving neatly between the empty chairs and tables. When she heard a laugh, she stopped and turned towards the voice she knew and loved.

Renee, with her dark hair, flashing eyes and brilliant smile, so much like Bella's, stood in the doorway to the kitchen, watching her. Flour dusted her cheeks, forehead and the red apron she wore.

"Belly, what are you doing?" Renee asked.

Bella smiled happily. She loved it when her mom used her special nickname; the name known only to them. She did a perfect pirouette, and danced towards her mother.

"Look Mama, I'm dancing. Aren't I pretty?"

Renee laughed and bent to gather her in her arms. Bella wrapped her little arms around her mother's neck and shoved her face into the warm crevice of her throat. She sniffed and sighed contentedly. Her Mom smelled like cinnamon and vanilla, and Bella felt sad for some reason she couldn't put her finger on.

"Yes, Belly, very pretty. One day you're going to be a star," Renee foretold.

Bella shook her head, her braid sweeping from side to side. In the back of her mind, she knew she would never be a star. She would be something else. Whatever it was, she would make her Mama proud. She would get a good job, build a house and take care of her Mama. Just like all good, little girls do when they grow up.

"No star Mama, but I'll take care of you," she said proudly. She took her small hands, placed them on the sides of Renee's face and rubbed her nose against hers.

Renee laughed and began a slow dance around the room with Bella as her partner. Bella leaned back, arms outstretched, and watched with wide eyes as the room spun around her. She giggled with glee.

"No silly Belly, it's my job to take care of you," Renee corrected as she executed a graceful turn. "And love you forever and ever," she whispered. Bella, in her euphoria, only partially understood her meaning.

Bella stretched her arms higher and felt happiness cover her. She wished she could do this forever, and made a resolution. She would always dance with her Mama and she would find a way for them to stay together forever.

Bella blinked, feeling sleep wash over her, but she resisted its pull. She didn't want to sleep, she wanted to dance. She wanted to stay in her mother's arms forever. She felt afraid that if she fell asleep, she would miss something important. But she was still just a little girl and it was late. Finally unable to resist, she felt the rest of her body become disconnected from her head. Her heavy head settled against her mother's shoulder and she hung on as tightly as she could.

"Love you, Mama," she yawned and everything around her began to fade. The music drew to a halt and before she slipped away, she heard her mother's beautiful voice say, "I love you too, Sweetheart."

**~*~*~***

Suddenly, the noise and smells of the diner hit Bella hard. She stumbled backwards and fell to the wall beside the jukebox. It was silent now, its song at an end. She looked around frantically, hoping to catch a glimpse of her mother, but she knew it was futile. Her mother was dead. There would be no more dancing, no more whispered "I love yous", no more hugs and kisses.

Her heart began to race, her breathing became shallow, and her head felt as if it would split open. Sweat condensed on her forehead and as her vision began to blur, she knew she was going to be violently ill. She stumbled into the ladies bathroom, leaned over the toilet and began to heave. She repeated this motion several times before she realised there was nothing to expel. Her stomach was empty. She hadn't eaten since she had left Bainbridge that morning.

Bella heard the bathroom door bang open and suddenly Alice was there holding her up. She wondered how someone as small as Alice could possess such strength.

"Bella, what happened?" Alice demanded, as she wrapped her arm behind Bella's back and under her arms to hold her in an upright position.

Bella shivered as emotion paralyzed her vocal chords into silence. She brushed her hand across her face and it came away wet. Whether from perspiration or tears, she wasn't sure. The sights, sounds and emotions from her "trip" were still fresh in her mind. So fresh in fact, that she was still having difficulty differentiating between reality and what might have been another memory movie.

They stood like that for a few minutes before Bella found the strength to speak and command her body to move.

"C-can we go, Alice?" she pleaded, her voice breaking. "_Please_, can we just leave?"

"Of course," Alice said, leading her out through the bathroom door and into the narrow hallway which led either to the front area of the diner, or further into the back of the building.

Janice appeared at their side, concern etched into her features. "Is everything okay?"

Alice gave a tense smile. "Yes, but we have to leave. Can you make our order to go?"

Janice looked unconvinced, but she nodded. "Sure. Use the back door. I'll bring your stuff out." She gestured to a door at the rear of the hall and Alice gave her a grateful nod. She then escorted a silent Bella out through the door and into the car.

**~*~*~***

Alice kept a constant vigil over Bella. She glanced at her watch and was surprised that two hours had gone by since their return to the hotel room.

She straightened from her crouched position and stretched her arms towards the ceiling. The muscles and ligaments having been left in one position for too long, complained bitterly and Alice gritted her teeth. Tiny pin pricks of awareness attacked her limbs as the blood flow returned.

Alice swung her legs off the bed and crept over to Bella's side of the room. Bella was in a deep sleep, and had been almost from the time they had arrived from the diner. She was curled into a fetal position, her mouth opened slightly with each breath she took. The steady rise and fall of her body was all that told Alice that Bella was still alive, and she began to worry. _What if she's lapsed into a coma? _Alice wondered.

She sighed and sat in the leather armchair beside the fireplace. She continued to watch for any sign of movement. She tucked her legs beneath her body, leaned her head against the back of the chair and wondered what happened at the diner.

She remembered Bella standing by the jukebox, seemingly engrossed in the song she had selected. Then all of a sudden, her body went rigid then fell backwards against the wall. Bella then stumbled her way into the bathroom. It took her about a minute to realize what had happened, and she quickly followed Bella into the bathroom, where she found her in practically a state of collapse. For the life of her, she could not figure out what had triggered such a severe reaction.

The ten minute drive from the diner to the hotel was agony for Alice. Bella had cowered against the door, weeping silently. The only sound she had made was an occasional sniff. Not knowing what happened was killing Alice. Nothing made sense.

At some point earlier, she considered calling Edward, but then decided against it. If she over-reacted and Bella was okay, her friend would be extremely annoyed that she had involved him. Still, he knew more about Bella's condition than anyone. _Maybe one phone call wouldn't hurt, _she reconsidered.

She was still in the throes of indecision when her phone began to vibrate. She glanced at the display. It was Jasper. She breathed a sigh of relief and connected the call. There was a lot of noise in the background, and she could hear Jasper telling someone to switch the channel on the amplifier.

"Hello," she whispered, looking across at Bella.

"Alice? Is that you? Why are you whispering?" Jasper asked, immediately picking up on her distress when she remained silent. "Alice, what's going on?"

His concern broke through the dam of her emotions and she began to sob quietly. She heard a lot of rustling, the sound of a door slamming shut and then dead silence. She thought the call had been disconnected, but then Jasper's voice came at her again; this time anxiety heightening its pitch.

"Alice, are you there?" Jasper asked. "Please, answer me."

"Y-yes, I'm here," she sniffed.

Jasper breathed a sigh of relief. "Baby, what's going on? Can you talk?"

Alice nodded and then realised Jasper couldn't see her. "Give me a few seconds, I need to go outside."

If Bella was just asleep, she didn't want to keep any unnecessary noise to wake her. One of the things she learned from spending the night on the floor beside Bella, was that she did not sleep a lot. She took one last look at Bella's still form and left the room.

**~*~*~***

Three things hit Bella simultaneously as she came awake. First, her mouth felt like a washed out rag, and probably tasted the same. Second, the silence in the room was unnerving and third, darkness had fallen. She sat up quickly and moaned when the room swung precariously. She held up her arm and squinted at her watch in the beam of light coming from the bedside lamp. She wondered how long she had been asleep and why she had chosen to do so fully clothed.

She kicked off her shoes and stood gingerly. She felt her stomach rumble and her bladder protest in quick succession. Not in the mood to use her cane, she limped around the bed and made her way to the bathroom.

When she came out, Alice was sitting on her bed looking lost and anxious. She remembered why she had felt the need to go to bed, fully clothed. The memory of dancing with her mother came flooding back. Sitting beside Alice, she dropped her face to her palms.

"Bella, are you okay?" Alice asked , her voice hesitant. Her tone told Bella she was waiting for something, and she knew exactly what it was.

"I'll be okay, but I need you to tell me something," she said, as she raised her head and looked Alice directly in the eyes. "Did my mother own that diner?"

"Yes, she did," Alice confirmed, suddenly feeling guilty and understanding Bella's earlier reaction. "I tried to tell you, but Kate…" she trailed off, looking down at her hands.

As Dean Martin's voice continued to churn through her head, Bella closed her eyes and swallowed past the lump that suddenly developed in her throat. It had grown from the size of a marble to a tennis ball in a matter of seconds.

"I'm sorry," Alice whispered, her voice filled with regret.

Bella reached over and squeezed Alice's hand. "It's okay. Just warn me next time."

Alice nodded and returned Bella's smile. After talking to Jasper, she had decided not to ask Bella about what had happened in the diner. When she was ready, she would talk about it. She just hoped this would not spoil the remainder of their time in Forks.

She heard Bella's stomach rumble and quickly went to the small, black fridge. She extracted a disposable container, a can of Coke and pushed them into Bella's hands.

"You need to eat something," Alice said firmly. "I don't want the sound of your stomach to keep me up tonight."

Bella smiled and dug into her salad. With every bite, she felt closer to feeling like her normal self. She just wished that she could get that song out of her head; it was driving her crazy.

**~*~*~***

Several hours later, Bella sat in the armchair, her mind devoid of everything except her racing thoughts. She had been keeping a journal of her memories as they returned, and was just finishing off her entry from her experience in the diner. She capped the pen, sighed and closed the book. She shifted it off her lap, but before she could shove it into the space between her hip and the chair, something fell out. It was a picture of Edward. She reached down and grabbed it from where it had settled on the carpet. She had taken it on one of the ferry rides into the city.

He was leaning against the rails, looking out at the water when she had snapped the shot. His hair was its usual sexy mass of confusion, and the collar of his shirt was tucked half way inside the neck of his jacket. He seemed to be studying something of importance because he was frowning just a bit.

She ran her fingers over the photograph's smooth surface in the area where his face was. She missed him, but knew this was for the best. She needed to exist outside the realm of all things Edward. She had not spoken to him since she had left the island. The only communication they had had, was the text she had sent letting him know that they had reached Forks safely; other than that, nothing.

It took her a few seconds to realize her cell phone was ringing. She glanced at the display and saw "Unknown Caller" flash across the screen. _That's odd, _she thought_. _Very few people had her number, and the ones who did usually showed up by name. She slid her thumb across the answer button and placed it to her ear.

"Hello?" she said. It was silent on the opposite end. "Is anyone there?" Silence again.

She felt a chill race up her spine and she quickly disconnected the call. That was unusual and creepy as well. Most people said something when they realized they had a wrong number, but this person had purposely left the line open; almost as if wanting to listen to her voice.

**~*~*~***

He dropped the phone beside his denim clad hip and smiled. Her voice sounded even better than he remembered. It was soft, sultry and made him feel warm inside. He laid there for a few more minutes before reality came crashing down on him. It was her…_she_ was the catalyst. _She_ was the reason why he couldn't function, the reason why he felt so out of control and out of touch with his life. That night in Vancouver had set the wheels in motion, and now instead of him controlling his prey, she was controlling him.

He sat up, grabbed the pack of cigarettes from the bedside table and flicked one into his hand. With shaky hands, he lit it and inhaled deeply. He was on his fourth inhalation when he realized the usual tingle was absent. He groaned. He couldn't even find solace in nicotine anymore. _She_ had taken that as well; _she_ was single-handedly taking everything from him piece by piece. Soon there would be nothing left – at least nothing he recognized.

He felt the slow burn of blinding rage attack him and he pitched the lit cigarette outside, into the bushes. He then slammed his fist into the wall. The pain in his hand distracted from the other pain he was suddenly becoming familiar with; the pain in his heart. It couldn't be possible that Bella had managed to do what no one else alive on the planet had done…she had made him feel, she had made him become human.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~***

Jacob Black heard the door of his cell open and he casually looked up from the jigsaw puzzle he was working on at the little plastic table they had provided for him. It would have made a perfect weapon, had it not been double bolted to the floor – the chair too.

The guard standing in the entryway watched him with something akin to awe and fright. This one could not be more than twenty-three years old. He was another one who knew of his reputation and maybe even envied him. He read the name printed on the man's name tag.

"So, Mr. Carson, how can I help you today?" he asked, returning his attention to his chore. He clicked another piece into place and for a moment felt like dashing the entire thing to the ground. _Did they really think forcing him to slot together piece after piece of some inane puzzle would serve as some sort of therapy?_

His personal Physiologist had diagnosed him as having extreme anger issues with a bit of narcissism thrown in. One was bound to be angry, if all they had to do all day was try to find the pieces of animals or the scenery of places he couldn't visit because he was stuck in here. His Physiologist was lucky he didn't ram all 1,000 pieces down his throat, or better yet, up his ass.

As for the narcissism, Jacob thought that too was inaccurate. It was unfair to be considered a Narcissist when everything you did was almost perfect. The entire thing was talent, not a condition.

Carson looked at bit surprised at having been addressed in such a respectful manner by such a high-profile criminal.

"I'm here to escort you to the library."

Jacob raised one perfectly arched eyebrow. "Do I have a choice?"

"Uh, no sir. You do not," Carson said in his best authoritative voice.

"Well when you put it that way," Jacob said smiling grimly, his eyes on the metal handcuffs and leg irons. He then stared directly into Carson's face and held out both hands in front of him. "I guess I can't refuse."

As they reached the designated area, Carson opened the door and stepped aside to allow Jacob entry. The other guard who accompanied them, remained outside while Carson closed the door behind them.

Jacob saw that someone had chosen four books for him to peruse. One particular title caught his attention and he smiled. He would leave that one for last. He sat, and taking the first book off the top of the heap, turned to the guard.

"Mr. Carson, make yourself comfortable," he invited, and gestured to the stack. "I might be here a while."

Carson took a step back and shifted into a relaxed military stance, his hands clasped loosely behind his back. He gave Jacob a courteous smile and shook his head.

"No, thank you sir, I'm fine."

It hit Jacob then. Mr. Carson was way too well-mannered for just a lowly guard. No one, especially the guards, called him "Sir". They either referred to him as Black, 'him' or by some other derogatory term. If he was right about this, then it meant one thing – Agent.

"So, Mr. Carson, how long have you been with the agency?" he asked, opening the cover of the first book.

Carson's face was blank. "Sir?"

Jacob closed the book and stared him directly in the eye. He had had enough of this game. "You're not a guard, son. You're way too mannerly and bright for that. So that leaves only one thing; Federal Agent."

Carson remained silent, but continued to watch him with a blank expression. He tried to give nothing away.

_So, they thought to trip me up by inserting an agent into my watch detail, Jacob thought. _He was surprised that they had sent someone so inexperienced. It was almost as if they had sent him in to fail. If they were so willing to send just anyone in, then they had to be desperate.

He smiled, then extracted the last book from the bottom of the pile. He smiled at Carson's continued silence and imagined that the man's brain was probably working overtime trying to figure out how Jacob Black had discovered who he was.

Turning to the page he had come to know by heart, he found what he sought. His eyes quickly picked out the message from the barely marked words inserted into a few paragraphs. The information was long in coming, but it please him enormously. He closed the book and stood. Carson's relaxed stance changed immediately, and he snapped to attention, ready to act if necessary.

"I think I'll take this one and return to my cell. But before I do, I require a small favor," Jacob approached the agent and was pleased when he stood his ground.

"And that would be?" Carson's voice held a note of suspicion and curiosity.

"I need you to set up a meeting for me. I have something extremely important to say."

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~***

**A/N: Next chapter – introduction of a new, important character. I really like this one. Also, Alice gets a little generous (tune in to see what I mean).**


	20. Goodbyes & Revelations

**A/N: So, it has been sometime since I updated this story, but I have been really busy and I was having a bit of a problem getting my words down properly. It is so incredibly difficult when you have the chapter mapped out in your head, but the words do not flow as you would like.**

**Anyhow, I want to thank all those who read and reviewed, and those who are still adding the story to their favourites and alerts. Thank you, thank you.**

**In the interest of time, I have not chosen a song for this chapter, but I will do so later. I felt it was more important to upload the chapter rather than to waste time looking for an appropriate song. Hope you enjoy.**

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**Chapter 19 – Goodbyes & Revelations**

Bella maneuvered carefully around the remnants of a fallen tree covered in green moss and then a stack of sharp rocks. She shrieked when her foot caught on a vine and Alice reached out a hand and grabbed the back of her jacket. It immediately stopped her forward motion with a jerk.

"Alice, what are we doing here?" she laughed breathlessly. "Did you bring me here to break my neck?"

Alice snorted and moved past her, her black backpack strapped firmly to her back. "Not possible when you have three legs; greater balance."

"Idiot!" Bella threw at her retreating back, and stepped around another patch of rocks and vines.

"Whiner!" Alice snapped back as she rounded a group of trees and disappeared from sight.

It was silent and rather eerie under the canopy of green trees. Bella quickened her pace as best she could without falling flat on her face. Light flittered through the branches and leaves, leaving dancing shadows on the forest floor. The combination of grass and moss made the ground springy beneath her shoes.

Bella heard the sound of waves crashing and gulls calling to each other. She saw a clearing up ahead. After their little hike from the car through the woods, the realization that the sea was just on the other side of the blanket of trees surprised her. But yet, it all seemed familiar to her; somehow.

She stepped out into the open and what she saw took her breath away. She never could have imagined that beyond all the maze of trees laid such beauty, such splendor.

The beach stretched for as far as she could see and the sunlight that glinted off the waves almost blinded her. The sky was a brilliant shade of blue and reflected off the water, turning it into a mass of cerulean waves. As wave after wave pounded the coastline, she noticed several surfers some distance out. A few of them sat on their boards, bobbing up and down on the undulating waves, while a couple of them took advantage of an extremely large swell. She shuddered at their bravery or maybe at their plain stupidity.

As she made her way down to the sand, the smooth, multi-coloured stones clattered noisily under her feet. She scooped up a few, examined them carefully, then quickly shoved them in her pocket. She would take them with her as a souvenir, to remind her of her visit.

Alice was standing beside a fallen tree, her sneaker clad foot propped against the trunk. Its limbs and trunk were twisted and bleached almost bone white by the elements. It reminded Bella of a skeleton devoid of its muscles and tendons. It seemed to be the parent to several pieces of driftwood which were strewn around the immediate vicinity.

Bella reached down and picked up a piece. It was surprisingly light and smooth in her hand. Clutching her newly discovered treasure, she made her way over to Alice.

"So, this is First Beach," Bella breathed in awe, staring once again at the mass of angry waves which pounded the shore at intervals. It was beautiful and the perfect place to catch Mother Nature in all her glory. There was an almost primitive feel about the place, and it wasn't difficult for Bella to picture this venue in another place in time. A time when men were still evolving into the species they had become today.

"Yes, we used to come here all the time," Alice said quietly, and rested the backpack carefully on the sand.

A vision of her and Alice chasing each other down the beach, trying to avoid the incoming waves flashed through her mind. They were younger then, but they seemed to be having a great time; all thoughts of impending adulthood clearly out of their thoughts. The memory then forwarded to a later time, but still on the same beach. This time, she was sitting on an out cropping of rock. She was much older now and was gesturing to something in the distance, talking to someone. Then that _someone_ came into view – Edward.

"Whoa!" She rocked back on her heels and dropped the piece of wood in her surprise. When had she brought Edward here, and why? He was the last person she would have expected to invade her memories of Forks. She felt his presence in her memory was significant somehow and maybe if she could fully bring the memory to the surface, she would have the answer to a few other questions.

Bella was itching to pull out her journal, but decided to wait to see if any further memories emerged on this outing. Since her memories did not seem to re-emerge in any precise order, she wanted to sort through them and put them down in precise chronological order. It would be easier to sift through the information that way.

Alice was still staring off toward the sea stacks which were set off in a distance, spaced haphazardly in different places in the ocean. From where they stood, Bella could see the waves batter them endlessly, but the surfers did not seem to have any problem maneuvering the area close to them.

"So, why are we here again? Other than the '_I want to torture you' _thing?" Bella joked, in an attempt to break the tension that invaded their space causing some of the earlier jovial mood to disappear.

Alice smiled and opened the backpack, then extracted with great care, a beautifully ornate urn. It was about eighteen inches in height and was gold-bronze in colour. An intricate pattern of vines was etched into its surface. She clutched it to her chest protectively.

Bella immediately knew what lay inside the metal vessel – Alice's mother's remains. The essence of who Francesca Branson was had been reduced to the pile of ashes now enclosed in the urn. A wave of emotion crashed over her and she bit her lip. It all made sense now. Alice had been unusually quiet today, and she had thought that her experience at the diner may have had something to do with it. She saw now that a more complicated, emotionally draining task awaited her friend.

Drawing in a deep breath, Bella felt her throat begin to constrict from the tears she knew would flow if she allowed them to come to the surface.

"Oh, Alice. Why didn't you tell me?"

Alice shrugged and caressed the urn, almost as if she was trying to commit its texture, shape and dimensions to memory.

"You had your stuff to deal with," she muttered as a gust of wind whipped around them and tore at their clothing and hair.

"This is your unfinished business, isn't it?" Bella asked, placing a comforting hand on Alice's shoulder.

Alice nodded. "Yeah, Mom wanted to be laid to rest somewhere she loved. I thought here was as good a place as any."

"Okay," Bella said, falling silent. She was unable to think of anything appropriate to say. How exactly did one convey their sorrow during a time like this? What did one say to make a person feel comforted about the death of a parent?

"Hey, would you do me a favour?" Alice requested, a determined look on her face.

"Sure, what?"

Alice returned the urn to the backpack and zipped it closed. She then placed it on her back, struggling momentarily to get her arms through the straps.

"Can you take a few photos when I do this? I-I want something to remember and I want to send one to…dad."

Bella paused at the mention of Alice's father. She knew that Alice and her father weren't exactly close. Their relationship was strained and had become more distant since the divorce and she and her mom had moved away, eventually finding themselves in Forks. Mr Branson had chosen to remain in Chicago, and from what Bella surmised, he had opted not to attend his ex-wife's funeral. Bella knew that this had hit Alice hard, as it seemed as if Mr Branson had divorced her as well.

"Okay, whenever you're ready'" Bella agreed. "Where do you want to do this?"

Alice pointed to a massive rock further down the beach. There was a solid wall of rock between that and the cliff face and to Bella, it looked extremely familiar. In her mind, she saw herself disappearing behind the rock, using the natural foot and handholds to climb to the top of the cliff.

"Eagle's Bluff, right?"

Alice looked surprised at Bella's announcement. "You remember that?"

"Yes, we used to go there all the time," she confirmed, flashes of memory darting in and out of her mind. "I also remember taking Edward there."

Alice smiled. "Actually, you took him there a couple of times,"

Realising that she might have said more than she should, Alice folded her lips and started down the beach. Bella stared after her for a few seconds and then followed. When they reached their destination, Bella shrugged off her backpack and took out her camera. Alice disappeared between the opening in the two rocks, and a few minutes later, appeared at the top of the bluff.

From her position on the sand, Bella watched as Alice clutched the urn to her chest. She bowed her head and brought it close to her lips. Alice's lips moved and even though Bella could not hear the words, she knew Alice was saying her final good-bye. A tear ran down Bella's cheek, and as she raised the camera, she quickly brushed it away.

Alice carefully took the top off the urn and dipped her hand inside. She then withdrew it, her hand folded into a fist. She stuck her hand out and as Bella continued to snap picture after picture, the wind greedily ripped the ashes from Alice's hand and scattered them. They swirled briefly on the current of air and then floated out to sea.

Bella watched through the aperture of her lens, as Alice repeated this ritual time and time again, until finally the urn was empty and the last of her mother's ashes had been dispersed and returned to the elements from whence they had come.

Twenty minutes later, Alice was again standing beside Bella on the beach. Her face was solemn, and the tracks of her tears were still visible on her cheeks. Bella reached over and gave her a hug.

"You okay?" she whispered, her chin planted firmly on the top of Alice's head.

Alice nodded and sniffed. "Yeah, I guess saying good-bye is not as easy as I thought."

"Hey, it's okay. This is your mom. If it wasn't hard something would be wrong," Bella counseled. "It's not easy losing a parent."

She thought about Renee and felt sad. She had tried to remember her funeral, the days before she died, but all she got were feelings and slight flashes. It was frustrating and it depressed her. Her own mom and she couldn't remember her last days on this earth. Guilt had officially taken up residence next door and had become her new neighbor.

Alice pulled away and gave her a comforting smile. "Don't be so hard on yourself about Renee. You'll remember as time goes by. Since you've been here, you've made a lot of progress."

Bella gawked at her in shock. It never ceased to amaze her how intuitive Alice could be. She always seemed to know what she was thinking. Almost like Edward, except recently, it seemed like they were on two totally different wave lengths.

"I really hope so," she said in a small voice. "I'm beginning to feel as if time is running out."

Alice gave her a puzzled look. "Why would you say that?"

Bella bit her lip and quickly looked away from Alice. Ever since that telephone call last night, she was beginning to get an uneasy feeling. Almost as if something bad was coming and she was powerless to stop it. All morning it had bothered her. She had tried to shove it into the very deepest recesses of her mind, but she failed miserably. She wanted to feel safe again, she wanted to return to Bainbridge and let Edward take care of her, let him protect her. Most of all, she wanted to stop being afraid.

She shrugged and kicked at one of the multi-hued pebbles. It bounced out of the way, onto another pebble and a small avalanche drifted towards the beach's sandy edge.

"I don't know, just a feeling that's all," she muttered and made her way over to another fallen, skeletal tree. This one had a wide expanse of trunk and she sat, her bad leg stuck out directly in front of her. Alice joined her and after a few minutes of silence, sighed.

"Okay, okay, I'm going to do you a favour," she said throwing her hands into the air. When Bella gave her a confused look she shook her head and grumbled. "This is so going to get me in trouble."

"Alice, what are you talking about?" Bella asked, watching her friend wage some sort of internal battle.

"I'll give you the answer to three questions," Alice raised three fingers into the air. "But choose wisely."

Bella was silent, mulling the questions over in her head. She had so many things she wanted to ask and all of them seemed important, so what was she to do? Which did she ask first? Suddenly, the one which had been plaguing her since she was in the hospital came to mind.

"Were Edward and I ever more than friends?" she asked, holding her breath as she watched the play of emotions cross Alice's face.

"Do you really want to waste a question on that?" Alice asked quietly. "It's not like you don't already know the answer. It's been staring you in the face all the time."

So, it was true. She and Edward had been a couple, but in her heart she knew something bad had happened to split them up. When she asked him why they had lost contact with each other and he said that they became so busy with their lives, she knew he was lying. However, she was too much of a coward to force the issue.

"Okay, scrap that question," Bella said, slicing her hand through the air. "Edward's house, it's very familiar to me. I lived there before didn't I?"

Alice nodded. "Yes, you did. Esme's redecorated a bit, but it's basically the same. Question number 2?"

"What is it that everyone is trying so hard to shield me from? Did I have multiple personality disorder or something? Did I do something to hurt Edward? Did he do something to hurt me?"

The rapid machine gun fire of the questions made Alice smile. "If I count correctly, that's four questions. You've only got two."

Bella groaned. "Alice, come on. This is ridiculous. How can I find out what I want to know in just three questions?"

Alice shook her head. "Sorry, you agreed, and anyway, if you weren't so busy being a chicken, you would have had the answers to your questions."

"How?" she wailed.

Alice reached over and poked her in the side of her head. "You would have held Edward down and made him answer you, but you've been so busy being scared and he's been so busy trying to protect you that you both have avoided doing the right thing…talking to each other. It's damn frustrating and on top of that, all the sexual tension is giving me a migraine."

Bella blushed, but still managed to look mortified. "Sexual tension?"

Alice raised one slender eyebrow indignantly. "Oh, don't give me that. I see the way you two look at each other. I'm surprised you haven't ripped each other's clothes off and gone at it in the middle of the kitchen floor."

The vision of her ripping Edward's clothing from his body came into her mind and for some unusual reason, it was hilarious. She began to laugh and Alice stared at her for a few seconds before joining her. They were wiping the tears away when the sound of someone clearing their throat made them whirl around.

Standing a few feet away from them was a man dressed in a black wet suit and holding a silver and black surf board under his arm. He had piercing blue eyes and he reminded Bella of that guy, Matt Dallas from the sci-fi series, Kyle XY. The difference with him was that he was slightly older and a bit more muscular.

"Alice Branson, I thought that was you," he said, a slight Irish accent clinging to his words. He grinned and plunged his board upright into the sand.

Alice stood and stared in shock at the man. "Liam? What are you doing here?"

He gestured to his clothing and then out toward the waves and the other surfers. "Well, I was passing through and couldn't resist the call."

"Last time I heard, you were in Iraq," Alice said.

Liam smiled grimly. "That I was, but I returned about two weeks ago and decided to take a bit of R & R. After all the things I've seen, I needed it. So, what are you doing here? Have you moved back to the area?"

His question seemed to make Alice remember Bella's presence and she turned to her and smiled apologetically.

"Excuse my bad manners. Liam I'd like you to meet Isabella Swan, my best friend." Alice introduced. "Bella, Liam Kincaid."

Liam's eyes fastened themselves on Bella and he grinned widely. He flicked his damp, black hair from his eyes and held out his hand to her. His grip was confident when he shook her hand and it might have been her imagination, but he held onto her hand for a fraction longer than was considered appropriate.

"Isabella, nice to meet you," he said and continued to stare at her.

"Just Bella," she mumbled, looking down at the toe of her sneaker to avoid his intense stare.

"Liam, here is a journalist with the BBC," Alice went on to explain. "I met him through my mother when she was helping out at the Red Cross Headquarters in London a few years back."

Alice had told her that Francesca had worked for the UN for a number of years, but had thrown it all in to take a job at Forks High School as a teacher, and then the Red Cross where she had specialized in helping under privileged children. That particular job had eventually taken her to Africa where she had worked until her death.

"That's great," Bella said, her interest piqued. "It must be difficult to maintain an objective frame of mind."

"Sometimes, but I don't have a choice," he said. "I have to be very careful what I say as my personal feelings can unintentionally bias people. What do you do, Bella?"

Before Bella could answer, Alice cut in. "Bella's a Photographer," She gave Bella a wink as if to say, _"Go ahead, dazzle him"_.

Liam was clearly impressed and gestured to her backpack. "Really now, I'm a bit of an amateur photographer myself. What type of camera do you use?"

Bella extracted the Nikon from the bag and handed it to him. He whistled appreciatively and carefully examined the piece of equipment. He placed his eye against the view finder and focused down the beach. He smiled and then handed the camera back to Bella.

"Nice," he said, and Bella got the impression he wasn't only referring to the camera. "Have you ever done any work on a professional basis? Maybe for a news agency or anything like that?"

"Why? Are you looking to recruit me?" Bella teased.

Liam laughed. "Maybe I am. I'm always in need of a good photographer and they are always openings,"

"Well, if I find myself in need of a job, I'll know who to contact," she said, a small smile playing across her lips.

Liam continued to stare at her until Alice cleared her throat, breaking the spell Bella seemed to have placed on him. He turned to Alice and gave her an embarrassed, sheepish smile.

"Speaking of your mother Alice, how is Francesca doing? Is she still in Africa?" Liam asked, smiling. His smile wavered a bit and then drifted away when he saw the look on Alice's face. "Did I say something wrong?"

Alice drew in an unsteady breath. She felt as if the air around her had suddenly become too thin and was not fit for breathing. Bella reached out a hand and slipped it into hers. She squeezed it comfortingly.

"Uh…my mother died a few months ago," Alice whispered.

Liam's shocked expression changed to one of sorrow and shaking his head, gave Alice a hug. He pulled away, keeping both hands on her shoulders as he continued to stare at her in disbelief.

"H-how? What happened?"

"Heart failure," she explained. "She was ill for a few weeks, but by the time she managed to get to the doctor, there was nothing that could be done. She died in Africa and I brought her home." Alice's last words came out as a whisper and Bella felt her heart squeeze painfully in her chest.

"I'm so sorry," Liam said, emotion choking him. "She was a wonderful person. She'll be missed by a lot of people."

Alice smiled ruefully. "You should have seen the size of the funeral. Three whole villages were in attendance, and that had nothing to do with her friends and co-workers. Mom must have been in heaven laughing her ass off. Her death did what no one else could seem to do where two of the villages were concerned; they managed to co-exist, even if it was for a little while."

Bella smiled. Trust Alice to see the silver lining in the otherwise cloudy sky. Alice's never-ending enthusiasm was contagious, and she began to feel better about her situation. Maybe things weren't so bad for her. After all, she had the answer to one vital question that had plagued her. Now she knew why she felt such a connection with Edward, they were once a couple, and that made her happy. Regardless of whatever had happened between them, she felt that maybe they had been given a second chance.

"So, I'll be in Seattle in a few days," Liam was saying. "Maybe we could all meet up and have dinner."

Bella blinked when she realised that Liam was staring directly at her when he issued his invitation. She wondered how much of the conversation she had missed, and feeling her face flame up, hoped he was not as observant as he appeared. His smile told her that she had been caught.

"That's a great idea," Alice said, digging her cell from her pocket and handing it to Liam. He took it and began to enter his contact information. "Isn't it Bella?"

"S-sure, just give us a call and we can meet up." She said, trying to inject as much enthusiasm into her voice as was possible. Right now, all she wanted to do was talk to Edward. Dinner was the last thing on her mind.

"Great, I look forward to it," he said, and returned Alice's phone to her. He turned and once again smiled at Bella. "Well it was nice meeting you Bella, and I look forward to our dinner."

He grabbed his board, waved and ran off down the beach. He then plunged into the cold waters of the Pacific and began to paddle his way out towards the other surfers. Bella watched them for a bit more and then turned her attention to Alice who was watching her was a superior smirk on her elfin face.

"What?" Bella asked, knowing that something was going through Alice's head.

"Nothing," she said, giving Bella an innocent look. Unfortunately, Bella was wise to her and raised an eyebrow in disbelief. "I just noticed that Liam seemed more than a little interested in you. Maybe Edward's finally got some competition."

Bella laughed and shook her head. "There is no competition. Edward and I are friends remember, and anyway, we're all going to dinner."

Alice wrinkled her nose. "Well, I've been known to get sudden migraines," she grinned wickedly. "Who knows, that night might be one of those times."

"Try it and you'll regret it," Bella growled and shoved Alice's shoulder playfully.

Alice shoved back and soon the two women were lying on the sand, giggling like a pair of five year olds, and staring up at the blue sky. Bella felt free. She felt unencumbered by life and even thought she knew the feeling would not last forever, she was going to enjoy every second of it now and deal with anything else later.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~***

Emmett watched as Edward sighed, slouched down into the couch and continued to stare at the television. He wondered if his brother even knew what he was watching. From the time Bella had left for Forks, Edward had slipped into a 'funk' of sorts. It was hard for Emmett to watch him as it was reminiscent of when Bella had left before, but he knew it was something he had to work out on his own. On the other hand, it was really beginning to annoy him. Edward's defeatist attitude was almost tangible, and it was driving Emmett crazy.

Emmett had not been at all surprised when Edward had strolled into the kitchen shortly before dinner this evening. He had managed to spend last night over at his place, but tonight seemed to be an entirely different story. His best bet was Edward could not stand to be in the house alone with his thoughts and the empty silence.

Rosalie seemed to pick up on Emmett's mood and she reached out and squeezed his hand. She flashed him a knowing, censored look – almost as if she knew he was about to say something.

"So, Edward," Emmett began, as the ending credits for the show began to scroll up the screen. "You staying over or are you going home?"

Edward started slightly at the sound of Emmett's voice and he realized that the sitcom was over. He silently thanked God. Why Emmett remained a fan of this empty, type of humor he would never know. Edward had to take his hat off to Rosalie. He knew she hated them, but subjected herself to watching them because of Emmett. Now that was true love.

Edward frowned. "Why? You want me to leave?"

Emmett shrugged. "Actually, it's your choice. Mom would be happy if you stayed as Dad's not here, but if you are staying, then we'll bid you good-night, because you're stopping me from getting some," He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively, but cringed when Rosalie punched him on the arm. Her face turned red and Emmett grinned wickedly.

Edward groaned, shuddered and covered his eyes with his hand. "Damn, did you have to tell me that? Now I'll never get that vision out of my head. Ugh!"

Emmett grinned, rose from the couch and stretched. He held out his hand to Rosalie and then turned to Edward who was frowning and shaking his head. It was obvious that the imagery Emmett had presented him with was still running around inside his head.

"You sure you're going to be alright?" Emmett asked, wrapping his arms around Rosalie's shoulders. His earlier teasing tone had disappeared, and had been replaced by one of concern.

Edward smiled painfully. "Yeah, I'll be fine. I'll see you in the morning, and thanks for baby-sitting me," His words came out sounding a bit rough, but his smile seemed to soften them somehow.

Emmett nodded and placed the index finger of his left hand on his forehead and gave Edward a half salute.

"Anytime, lil' bro, anytime. Good-night and try not to be so hard on yourself." And with that, Emmett and Rosalie disappeared up the stairs.

**~*~*~***

Edward dropped his keys and cell phone on the bedside table. He quickly took off his shirt and draped it over the back of the chair. His shoes followed, then he plopped himself down on the bed. He was absolutely exhausted. He reached over and grabbed his laptop from the bottom of the bed where he had laid it when he arrived.

After switching it on, he leaned against a stack of pillows with his hands cradled behind his head. He thought back to the past two days. He had heard nothing from Bella except for a text message telling him that they had arrived safely in Forks.

That was yesterday morning and he was miserable. He missed her and nothing he did seemed to quell the ache in his stomach. He felt as if he was in danger of losing something precious – Bella.

He knew he had unintentionally hurt her by sleeping with Jordan, but the reality was that he was a free agent then, and therefore not governed by the usual rules. When that night happened, he was a divorcee; Bella had been out of his life for some time. Despite this, he wondered why he still felt so guilty about it. The explanation was simple – he had never accepted the divorce. He had never stopped being her husband; he had never stopped loving her.

A quiet knock on the door startled Edward from his thoughts, and he smiled when his mother stepped into the room. She was dressed in a nightgown and matching robe. Her long hair was pulled away from her face into a pony tail.

As usual, she was going to bed early as his father had to work another graveyard shift. In the past, whenever Carlisle worked late, Esme would prepare for bed and then make the rounds tucking her boys in and spending time with them before they went to sleep. Edward knew that as long as his mother and father had been married, their worlds revolved around each other. If he could make a guess, they were even more in love with each other now than on the day they married. When Edward slid his ring onto Bella's finger that was what he had hoped their life would be like. But somewhere along the line, they had lost their way.

Esme sat on the bed and smiled. "Decided to stay over?"

He nodded, placing the laptop on the bedside table to give his mother more room. "Yeah, that is unless you're kicking me out?"

Esme glared at him and slapped him on the shoulder. 'Edward Anthony Cullen! Of course not, this is still your room."

He chuckled at his mother's indignation; very little had changed in his room since he had left for college. As he had grown from toddler to adult, his mother had redecorated, but it had remained the way it presently was, for a while. The memory case as his mother like to call it, still hung on the wall and held his achievements from his childhood and teenage years. The glass was spotless and he was sure she still dusted it once a week.

His eyes took in the trophies he had won in high school and college for playing basketball. His graduation cap, programs to his many piano recitals, especially the one he had done at the Carnegie Hall when he was in his senior year. He knew for a fact that his parents still kept the ticket stubs as mementos from that night.

Edward sighed and prepared himself for what he knew was coming. He gave his mother an expectant look. Even though no one had come out – with the exception of Alice – and said how disappointed they were with him, he knew they were.

"Okay, let's hear it," he prompted, in a hurry to get the lecture over and done with.

Esme looked confused. "Let's hear what?"

Edward could barely contain rolling his eyes. "I know you're disappointed in me,"

"Actually, I'm not," Esme said, looking thoughtful.

Edward stared at his mother in shock; this was not the answer he expected. He expected a lecture the likes of which would put him to shame and make him feel even worse about the entire incident. She didn't even look mad; rather, she looked extremely amused.

Esme laughed quietly, taking in Edward's disbelief. "Not quite what you were expecting, huh?"

"No," Edward said, shaking his head. "Definitely not."

Esme raised an eyebrow. "Oh, you want me to yell at you for sleeping around?"

Edward felt his face grow warm. He resisted the urge to grab one of his pillows and cover his face in embarrassment. Trust his mother to cut through all the red tape and get to the heart of the matter. She was amazingly blunt at times.

"Well , when you put it like that, no." he muttered.

Esme chuckled. "I know it's my job to lecture and fret when one of my children does something…unsavory, but to be honest, I'm a bit relieved."

Edward sat up slowly. He looked around the room half expecting Ashton Kutcher to jump out of his closet and yell "Punk'd". He felt as if he had slipped into an episode of the Twilight Zone.

"Relieved?" he repeated, feeling completely discombobulated. "You're relieved that I had a one night stand with a woman I barely knew?"

"Yes, but since you're having problems with the entire concept, I'll explain," Esme said, settling herself beside her son.

"Please, do."

Esme fixed Edward with an earnest look; all humor disappeared from her face. "It's nice to know that one of my children is normal. You were always the responsible one; the one whom everyone could depend on," Esme explained, frowning "You were always so…intense. So…" she trailed off, trying to find the correct descriptive word.

"Uptight?" Edward supplied, drily.

Esme laughed. "No, not uptight. Just…odd."

Edward snorted, leaning back and settling himself against the pilows. "Oh, that makes me feel a whole lot better. Nothing a few years of therapy can't fix."

"Oh, keep quiet," Esme ordered. "It's just that even as a child, you were the calm one, the peace maker. While Emmett was busy running around wreaking havoc on everything and everyone, you were busy trying to save the world."

"God, Ma, you make me sound like some repressed, psychotic person," Edward stood and throwing his hands up into the air, turned to his mother. "I had my moments too. Remember when I took a header off the upstairs balcony? I almost fractured my skull, broke my arm in two places."

Esme wrinkled her nose. "Yes, that particular moment almost gave me a stroke."

Edward looked a bit triumphant. "And remember when I was fourteen and I took Dad's car without permission?"

"Yes, and crashed it into Mr Miller's big oak," she grimaced and sighed. "Okay, so maybe you weren't an angel, but you rarely got into trouble. Sometimes when you did, I was relieved. I was almost to the point where I was going to ask your father to do tests to make sure that you weren't some sort of alien clone."

Edward looked horrified. He rubbed his hands down his face and groaned. "Tell me you're joking,"

Esme giggled. "Of course," she patted the space beside her and when he returned to the bed, she took his hand in hers. "The point I'm trying to make is that I know your character. If you slept with this girl, it was a mistake. I won't hold it against you and neither does your father."

"Bella does," he said glumly. "So much so, that she couldn't wait to get away from me."

Esme shook her head. "I don't think she does, I just think she needs time to think. Maybe she needs time to decide how she feels and this trip to Forks _might_ be good for her."

Edward caught the hesitation in his mother's voice when she said the word _'might'_ and this made him curious.

"Why might?" he asked, "You don't sound so certain."

She inhaled deeply, reached over to the bedside table and took his cell phone in her hand. She held it out to him and smiled gently.

"Call her," she advised, and when he began to protest, she placed her finger on his lips silencing him. "It won't make the situation any better if you continue to stay away from her. She needs to know you're still here."

Reluctantly, he took the phone from her hand and stared at it. It seemed heavier than it had a few minutes before and he knew it was all in his mind. His fear of being rejected was magnifying every feeling, every emotion.

"What if she doesn't want to talk to me?" he asked, feeling his fear grow in leaps and bounds until it almost filled the room.

Esme leaned over and kissed him on the top of his head. "She will, have a little faith." She gave him an encouraging smile and then disappeared through the door.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~***

Bella hooked her camera up to the lap top and prepared to download the photos she had taken during the day. They were a few she wanted to send to Edward and she wanted him to see them before he went to bed. She knew he always checked his email right before he turned in for the night so the chances of him seeing them would be high.

She had just downloaded the first set when her cell phone began to ring. She automatically reached over and grabbed it. She scanned the display apprehensively and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Edward's name show up. Her unknown caller had called twice since last night and it was beginning to scare her. One wrong number she could understand, but three times? Now that was a bit too much of a coincidence. She would talk to Edward about it, when she returned to Bainbridge. She hoped it was all just one big mistake or maybe some kids playing a prank.

"Hello," she answered softly.

Edward paused when he heard her voice. Its sweet sound crashed over his senses and he felt his heart rate increase. He felt his eyes burn and realised just how much he had missed her.

"Bella," he said, his voice caressing every syllable of her name. "How are you?"

The sound of Edward's voice immediately sent a shiver up Bella's spine and she inhaled a gust of air before answering.

"I'm fine, what about you?"

Edward paused before he answered. The words _'I miss you'_ were so close to the surface that he had to chew on his bottom lip to stop them from coming out.

"I'm good," _Liar, _a voice snarled in his head. "How's Forks? Is it still quiet?"

Bella laughed. "Other than some movie being shot here, I don't think there's been much of a change."

"Movie, huh? Tell me more and I definitely want to know what you did today," he said, feeling a level of contentment that he had not within the last few days. "Has Alice been behaving herself?"

"Does she ever?" she laughed, and then proceeded to tell him about her visit.

Finally, she got to her memory of Renee. She choked as she spoke, but in fits and starts, managed to get the words out. Edward didn't push her to talk, he just allowed her to take her time and explain the entire experience at her own pace. He muttered a few words of comfort and encouragement, but other than that, he mainly listened.

At the end, Bella felt a million times better. The burden was lifted off her chest and she felt wonderful. If she had known that talking about it would have made her feel so much better, she would have discussed it was Alice earlier, but then again, she got the feeling that the only person she could have conveyed her feelings to was, Edward. He seemed to be tuned into her every emotion…all with the exception of her building feelings for him.

By the time Bella finished telling Edward about Alice's reasons for coming to Forks, it was an hour later and she was lying flat on her back with the laptop propped on her stomach. She stared at the blinking cursor on her screen and then a crazy thought came to mind.

"Are you near your computer?" Bella asked, as she quickly opened her IM program.

Edward chuckled. "Where else would I be? Why?"

Bella smiled. "I want to send you something,"

His status was set to _online_ and she clicked on his name. When the box popped up, she quickly typed the words _I miss you _into the text window. Bella's fingers hovered over the _Enter _button for a few seconds, debating whether what she was about to do was the right thing. _What if he rejects me?_ she thought taking a deep breath.

"Bella?" Edward prompted. "Is something wrong?"

"Uh...no! Give me a minute," Bella said softly, her finger still poised above the button which would determine her future. _Here goes_, she decided, then hit the button.

Bella knew the exact moment Edward received her message. She heard a crash and an almost inaudible gasp on the other end of the line, and held her breath as she waited for his response. The blinking cursor was slowly driving her crazy as she waited, but then he did something which surprised her – he logged out. A few seconds later, his voice came at her from the other end of the line.

"I miss you too," he whispered, "More than you know."

And with that simple admission, Bella felt her heart explode. This was not just a simple _"_I miss you", it said so much more and Bella knew that Edward understood that. It signified that he was aware her feelings for him had changed and he felt the same.

"You logged out," she said softly, immediately feeling like an ass. Talk about saying the wrong thing at the wrong time.

Edward laughed quietly. "Sorry about that, I dropped my laptop. You sort of took me by surprise."

Bella smiled. "Hopefully, it was a good surprise."

"Very," he responded and sighed, "Bella, when you get home, we need to talk. Really talk, okay?"

Through the haze of her happy thoughts, Bella realised that Edward had referred to his house as 'home', and for some reason, that made her feel contented. It made her feel as if finally, she belonged some place…to someone.

Bella stretched and felt euphoria infuse her every pore. "Yes, I agree. It's time," she agreed, stifling a yawn behind her hand.

"You're tired," he said. "It's late and you should get your rest."

Bella could hear the reluctance in Edward's voice and she felt happy that they seemed to be of similar minds. She didn't want him to go either, but she knew he had to get up early to go to work and she was rather tired. Alice had kept Bella particularly busy today and tomorrow, they were going to visit Forks High School.

"Okay, and Edward--" Bella whispered, her voice trembling slightly.

"Yes?"

"I'll hurry home," she promised. "Keep safe."

"I will," he said, his voice hoarse with emotion. "Bye."

Edward disconnected the call, leaned back on the bed and immediately made a decision. As soon as Bella returned, he was going to tell her everything. He would tell her about how they met, how they got together, their wedding, the accident and most of all, he would tell her about the most important reason why they broken up - Hayley.

It was a gamble, but it was one he was willing to take and the time felt right. All this subterfuge had taken a toll on him, his family, and most certainly, on Bella. When she had sent him that message, he had known that everything had finally fallen into place. She missed him and that meant her feelings for him went beyond friendship, and did he even dare hope…love?

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~***

**E/N: For all those who have no idea who Matt Dallas is, I have placed a link on my profile. I will try to update again soon, but I can't make any promises as life seems to be throwing me a few curve balls. However, I will not leave my characters hanging, so don't worry.**


	21. Provocation

**First I want to say a BIG heart felt thank you to all those who read and reviewed. The response to the previous chapter was phenomenal. I never expected such an overwhelming response, but you can be assured that I was, and still am, extremely pleased by all your kind words and comments. **

**I want to send a special thank you to **_Cullenbear_ **(your reviews are the greatest. Thank you, thank you)**, _xx- The Pain Inflictor –xx, ryuurei01 __**(thanks for the continued support. I always look forward to your reviews)**__, dreampills __**(glad you liked the Esme/Edward talk and the Alice moment)**__, Sammy73 __**(glad you're still reading and reviewing)**__, Vicki86, The Teddy Bear, Twilightforever, Nessa19 __**and**__ loves to read. _

**Before I finished Chapter 19, I had considered taking a break from the story as I felt I was forcing myself to complete that particular chapter. However, after the response I received, I am ready and rearing to go and am actually in the process of writing Chapter 21. The motivation meter is certainly off the scale.**

**Now, I need to give you a warning. This particular chapter contains violence and some blood, so if you are squeamish in anyway, maybe you should get someone to read it and then tell you about it LOL. Okay, warning given. **

**Anyhow, again I have not had the time to look for a song, but I will when I have the time. Hope you like what's to come.**

**Chapter 20 – Provocation**

Edward pushed his way through the glass door and made his way into the main lobby area of the office. As he stopped briefly at the reception desk to pluck a stack of mail from his and James's tray, he found himself humming a cheerful tune. Mandy gave him a surprised look and he smiled. The talk he had with Bella the night before, in addition to the decision he made, lifted his spirits and made him feel buoyant somehow. He was impatient for Bella to return home so that he could talk to her – unload his burden, so to speak.

As he walked down the corridor towards his office, he began to flip through the four or so envelopes in the small pile. Three of them were addressed to James and the other was a memo addressed to all staff in the office. It was from Building Security and informed them of changes to the ground floor security protocols effective at month's end.

When Edward finally managed to get into his office after being stopped by two co-workers, he was surprised to find the room empty, with no sign of James. His desk was undisturbed, his computer screen blank. That was a bit unusual. It was 9:15am and James was usually one of the first persons to arrive at work.

He draped his jacket over the back of his chair and dumped James' mail onto his desk. His partner's desk was as usual; neat and tidy. It was testament to James' unnerving self-control. There were times when Edward thought James was a control freak, and on a professional level that was great, but on a personal level, he wasn't so sure. Many a girlfriend had been sent packing because she refused to, or just did not fall into his perfectly arranged world.

Edward chuckled as he sat at his desk and switched his computer on. He was patiently waiting for the password prompt to appear when the door opened and Shannon, his boss, stuck his head around the door. The man's brow was wrinkled into a frown.

"Cullen, I need to see you for a few minutes," he announced, and with that, his head disappeared and the door swung shut.

Edward felt a strange, apprehensive feeling wash over him. In addition to Shannon's abrupt manner, the fact that he had summoned Edward to his office instead of talking to him there, sent up a bunch of red flags. Something had happened.

By the time Edward arrived at Shannon's office, the man was sitting behind his desk, his fingers creating a steeple under his chin. It was almost as if he was in the middle of some sort of sacred prayer ritual. Gesturing for Edward to take a seat, he picked up the phone and told Mandy in a brusque tone that he was in a meeting and under no circumstances was he to be disturbed.

"What's wrong?" Edward demanded as soon as Shannon had replaced the handset on its cradle.

Shannon seemed taken aback by Edward's direct assault, but he quickly recovered and smiled. His smile however, was grim. It only served to further confirm Edward's earlier suspicion.

"We received a call this morning," he paused giving Edward a pensive look. "Actually, it was an official request."

"An official request for what?" Edward asked, a sliver of unease crawling up his spine.

Shannon held up his hand for silence. "I'm getting to that. It would seem that a certain high profile inmate wants to arrange a meeting with a member of the Agency."

Immediately Edward knew who the 'high profile inmate' was. Jacob Black. There could only be one person that would warrant Shannon dragging him in here behind closed doors.

Edward frowned. "What does he want?"

Shannon shrugged and leaning back in the chair, clasped his hands across his stomach. "We're not sure, but I guess you'll find out, won't you?"

Edward's mouth fell open in shock and he felt the blood drain from his face. "M-me?" he stammered. "Why me?"

"Because he specifically requested you. He said he'll speak with no one else," Shannon explained. "And there's something else…"

Edward was not at all surprised that Jacob Black had thrown in some sort of condition or command. Nothing was ever simple or straight forward with that man. He was locked away in prison and he was still wreaking havoc.

"What else does he want?" Edward growled, yanking on his tie to loosen the knot which was beginning to feel like a noose around his neck.

"He's given you sixteen hours to get there. After that, the invitation is rescinded."

Edward stared at Shannon incredulously. Jacob Black had some nerve making demands. He had half a mind not to go, but that's one thing that bastard had on him. Black knew as long as he issued the invitation to Edward, the chances of him turning him down were zero. He sighed, suddenly feeling as if the walls were closing in on him. He hated being played, and that was exactly what this was all about.

"How long do I have left?" Edward asked, his voice a flat monotone.

Shannon took a look at his watch and pursed his lips. When he had first received the call that Jacob Black had requested Edward's presence in Colorado, he had been shocked and more than a little apprehensive. However, given the history between the two men, it should not have come as a surprise.

During the investigation which had eventually led to the capture and conviction of Black, the man had taken an unnatural interest in Edward. So much so, that he had approached him in a public place, and that had resulted in an altercation where James had had to step in.

Edward had never told him what exactly was said, but whatever it was had to be extremely personal, as Edward was not the type to fly off the handle at a triviality. Whatever Black had said had obviously touched a nerve and Shannon being the smart person he was, figured it was directed at Edward's family. Edward valued his family above all else and that was probably his only Achilles heel.

So given that, he was pleased that Edward was now exercising control over his emotions. He prayed that if he accepted Black's invitation – and in this case he was giving him a choice, he could continue to maintain that control whilst in Colorado.

"You've got about eight hours," Shannon confirmed and watched as Edward mentally calculated the amount of time it would take to reach his destination.

"Can you get me on the next flight out?" Edward asked, standing abruptly.

Shannon sighed and pushed a folder across his desk in Edward's direction. "Already done. You'll catch UA876 out of Sea-Tac for 11:30. You should hit Denver International just after 2:00pm. From there, I've arranged for a helicopter to take you directly to the prison."

Edward nodded and took the folder. "I'll report in when I return."

Shannon was silent for a bit, but when he spoke, his rough timbered voice was that of a friend and not a supervisor.

"Edward," he began, clearing his throat. "Are you sure about this? If you like, I could send someone else."

Edward shook his head vehemently. "No, you know he won't meet with anyone else. If he wants me, then that's exactly what he's going to get."

**~*~*~***

When Edward arrived in Denver, an agent met him as soon as he stepped off the plane and quickly escorted him to the waiting helicopter. Its rotors whirled lazily against the cornflower blue sky, but quickly began to pick up speed upon their approach. The man gave him a pitying look almost as if to say "Better you then me" and closed the door behind him. The pilot gave Edward a nod of acknowledgement and handed him a headset.

As the helicopter lifted off, Edward glanced at his watch. He had lost four and a half hours out of the eight waiting for his flight and flying here. As apprehensive as he was about meeting face to face with the man who single-handedly tried to destroy his life, Edward was also curious to know what was going through Black's mind. There had to be a reason for this sudden change in tactic. From all reports, Black seemed perfectly satisfied to just wait out his time. Why the sudden need to see him now? It made him nervous; which was probably the main reason for the summons. Black was a sadistic son of a bitch who would probably get off just knowing that he had brought some stress to Edward's life.

As they winged their way toward Florence, the machine cast long shadows on the constantly changing landscape beneath them. A feeling of vertigo attacked Edward's senses. He closed his eyes and swallowed convulsively. _Now is not a good time to get sick,_ he thought as his stomach did a somersault. To distract himself from the loud noise of the rotors slicing through the air and the rumble of the machine around him, he opened the folder Shannon had given to him and began to read its contents.

Inclusive of his flight itinerary, there was a hotel booking at the Holiday Inn in Denver in his name. He would spend the night there and then fly back to Washington on the first AM flight. He was glad that Bella would not be returning home tonight as he would be nowhere around.

The pilot's voice came through Edward's headset announcing that they were twenty minutes away from their destination. He nodded, leaned his head back and frowned. He had stopped believing in coincidences a while ago, but it seemed that every time he made some sort of progress with Bella, Black reared his ugly head. Again it seemed as if they were tied together as someone's sort of cosmic joke. It was ironic that as soon as all seemed to be falling into place with his personal life, his professional one had begun to spiral out of control.

The last time he had looked into Black's eyes had been three years ago, and now with two of the key witnesses dead, Black's impending release date and Bella's return in his life, everything was suddenly moving in hyper-drive.

The vibration of his cell phone brought Edward out of his reverie. It was Emmett. He exhaled and quickly cancelled the call. He could not handle talking to Emmett right now. Plus if his brother knew where he was and what he was about to do, he would blow his stack.

As Edward made his way toward the airport, he considered calling his father to let him know where he was off to, but changed his mind. Carlisle worked through the night and was probably tired. The last thing he needed was the added stress of breaking the news to his wife that their son was about to go meet with the man who almost killed him. While it had never been proven that Black was responsible for him being shot, it was the consensus of opinion. When all of this was over and he returned to the hotel, he would call Emmett then.

Approximately twenty minutes later, Edward got his first glimpse of the prison. Nicknamed _The Alcatraz of the Rockies_, ADX Florence was an impressive, architectural work of art. Located on 37 acres of flat, almost barren land, the prison was built to accommodate five hundred of the most dangerous criminals and was the only "supermax" prison in the United States. The numerous red tinted, green roofed buildings which made up the prison complex glinted in the sunlight, and Edward drew in a deep breath as the pilot made his final approach and began his descent. In the distance, the craggy, snow capped peaks of the Rocky Mountain range rose sharply from the earth, and in comparison to the stark environment, it was a beautiful sight to behold.

Twenty minutes and many security scans later, he was finally led to a small interview room in the main building. One of the first things he noticed when he stepped out of the helicopter was the eerie quiet and the abundance of security cameras which missed nothing. If he did not know better, he would have thought that the place was completely empty, with the exception of the many guards equipped with high-powered rifles.

A guard stepped into the room and cleared his throat. "Agent Cullen, he should be down shortly."

Edward nodded his thanks and took in the starkness of the room. Equipped with only a rectangular table and two chairs, one of which was bolted to the floor, there was nothing else to do but sit and wait. The room was windowless. The room's entire back wall was completely enclosed with the exception of a one way, bullet-proof glass section. This allowed prison personnel to observe the occupants of the room in a covert manner.

The door swung noiselessly open, and in walked the bane of his existence, accompanied by two guards on either side. Jacob Black, dressed in the prison's standard bright orange issued uniform, shuffled forward, the hand cuffs and leg irons impeding his movements. Edward felt a perverted sense of satisfaction knowing that the man was in some sort of discomfort.

Time had been kinder to Jacob Black than he deserved. He looked almost the same as when Edward had last seen him. A few subtle differences marked the passage of time in Black's features. Gone were the slightly boyish features – a complete contradiction to his true nature, and his hair which was once kept short, now reached his shoulders. As Black brought his eyes up from their submissive position on the floor, the solid, black curtain of his hair fell forward and placed part of his face in shadow. His brown, almost black eyes locked with Edward's, and as the guards led him to the empty chair, they did not break eye contact.

The guards quickly secured Jacob's wrists to the handles of the chair using the handcuffs. They looped the chain from his leg irons through two metal rings on the ground and secured his legs using two large, metal padlocks. Ironically, Jacob Black was tethered to the ground like the dog he was.

Black's eyes glittered mutinously, and his face changed from its placid expression to one of anger when he caught Edward's satisfied smile. The two guards made sure everything was secure and then left the room. As the door swung shut, trapping Edward with his hated enemy, he began to feel slightly claustrophobic.

"Edward Cullen, it's been a while," Black said, his face now passive. His voice was smooth, almost velvet and friendly. "How are you?"

"I'm fine, thank you for asking," Edward replied in a flat tone. "You seem to be in a bit of a predicament."

He gestured to the articles of metal which kept Jacob strapped to his chair, and couldn't help but allow a small, smug smile to tug at his lips. Something flashed in Jacob's eyes, then it quickly vanished.

Jacob shrugged. "A minor inconvenience." He leaned back in the chair and smiled pleasantly. "It's been such a long time since we last met. How are things with the Agency? You still one of their top agents?"

Edward stared at him in silence. _What game was this bastard playing at? Did he invite me__here to 'nice' me to death?_ All this pretend civility had to be leading somewhere, but Edward had no time for games. He had been an unwilling participant in too many of Jacob Black's games – much to his detriment.

"Enough of the bullshit!" Edward growled. "Why did you summon me here? What do you want?"

Jacob feigned dismay, shaking his head sorrowfully. "Still rude I see. I thought you would have worked on that since our last encounter."

Edward felt his anger rising and before he lost control and did something stupid, like grabbing Jacob Black and beating the shit out of him, he folded his arms across his chest and inhaled deeply.

"You're wasting my time and yours," Edward snapped. "Now again I'll ask, why am I here?"

Jacob was silent for a few seconds. As a variety of emotions flittered across his handsome features, he seemed to be trying to gather his thoughts. Edward on the other hand, knew this was a ruse and that while Jacob Black knew exactly what he wanted to say, he was stalling.

Suddenly, Jacob began to smile. It was a smug, enigmatic smile. It made Edward extremely uncomfortable, but he held himself still, awaiting the onslaught of the other man's words.

"I thought it was best to put things into perspective," Jacob began, his smile still firmly in place.

"What things?"

"Oh…things like this case you think you have against me," Jacob said, his eyes never wavering from Edward's. "I'm innocent, the victim of a serious miscarriage of justice. You have nothing, no proof that I did anything."

Edward gave an ironic bark of laughter. "I have witnesses and evidence which say otherwise,"

Jacob smiled mockingly. "Witnesses you say? By the way, how's that going?"

Jacob's questions made Edward pause. If he had believed that the deaths of Michael Danvers and Susan Collins were accidental or self inflicted as the Coroner's report had concluded, then Jacob Black's questions just confirmed what he knew to be a fact. Somehow, he had managed to dispose of two very important obstacles in his path; two living, breathing obstacles. The fact that he had managed to achieve this while incarcerated, meant the prison was insecure.

"So, are you confessing?" Edward enquired politely. "Is that why I'm here?"

Jacob raised an eyebrow. "Confessing to what?"

"To the murders of two people who were witnesses against you,"

Even though Edward was fully aware that Jacob knew who the witnesses were since he had probably had them killed, he refused to utter their names. They had died, but even in death, he would still protect them if he could.

Jacob threw back his head and laughed. "How can I possibly confess to something I didn't do? I've been locked up for the past three years. How exactly would I have been able to accomplish that?"

"You've got your way of getting things done,"

Jacob shook his head. "Sir, you give me entirely too much power," He sounded flattered and it grated on Edward's already sensitive nerves. "How would I have been able to arrange the deaths of two people from a maximum security prison set in the middle of God knows where? It would be impossible, and anyhow, I'll be out of here soon enough; it's only a matter of time."

Jacob's smug, self-assured attitude irritated Edward to the point where he found himself grinding his teeth. The man was sitting there as cool as you please, not a glimmer of remorse or regret on his smug face.

"Don't waste your time trying to convince me. I'm not buying it," Edward snapped. "People have died or been hurt because of you, and one way or the other, I'm going to make sure you spend the rest of your stinking existence in hell."

Jacob looked a bit affronted by Edward's accusation, but then his face relaxed into a mocking smile.

"Taking this a bit personal aren't we, Agent Cullen?" Jacob asked innocently. He then nodded his head as if remembering some vital piece of information. "Oh, but I forgot, you've got a personal stake in this case; so silly of me. I forgot that this isn't really about providing justice for all those nameless, faceless people you think I hurt. It's really about getting back at me for what you think _I_ took from _you_."

Edward felt a chill come over his body and gathering his resolve, he stood and pushed the chair back. It made a grating, scratchy sound as it scraped against the concrete floor.

"This meeting is over," he spat, and turned to leave the room.

However, Jacob had other plans and what he said next stopped Edward dead in his tracks, and made his heart thump wildly inside his chest.

"Before you leave, I must ask about that pretty ex-wife of yours. How is the beautiful Bella? I was saddened to hear about her accident."

While anyone listening would have though that Jacob's question was asked out of concern, Edward heard something else. The man's voice was taunting and arrogant. It brought Edward's anger flooding to the surface like a geyser. He carefully schooled his features into a blank, emotionless mask before turning to face the man.

"What do you know about Bella's accident?" Edward asked, his voice dangerously low. His anger was a precipice and he was barely clinging to its edges by his fingers. With each passing second, he was in danger of losing his grip.

Black looked contrite, almost as if he had just committed some sort of social faux pas.

"Word is that someone attacked her in her home. Thing is, I'm not surprised given the type of people she associates with,"

Jacob's meaning was loud and clear, and feelings that Edward had tried so hard to ignore, flared up and threatened to engulf him. Edward balled his hands into fists and took a step back into the room. Jacob's eyes followed his every movement, and a spiteful sneer made its way to his lips.

"You do know what I mean?" Jacob asked. "You hang around with dogs and eventually, you'll wake up with fleas. It's inevitable."

"Shut up," Edward growled, taking another step forward. He felt a cold knot of fury tighten in the pit of his stomach.

"What? Can't handle the truth?" Jacob laughed greatly enjoying himself. He knew he was pushing Edward to the edge of his control, and wondered what would finally make him snap.

"You wouldn't know the truth if it ran you down and backed over you for good measure," Edward snorted. "Shut up about Bella, you've hurt her enough. Don't you dare sully her name."

Jacob laughed coldly and when he spoke, his voice was low. So low in fact, that Edward had to strain his ears to hear.

"If you think what happened four year ago was a big deal, then wait for what's about to come next. By the time I'm finished with you, everyone you love will be gone, but I'll do you a favour. I'll leave Bella for last and let you watch while I _do_ her. How's that? Does that make you feel better?"

After that, everything happened in slow motion. A part of Edward felt as if it had been forcibly ejected from his body, and he watched helplessly as his physical self let out a roar of rage, and dove across the table. There was a crash as the empty chair smashed into the wall in Edward's wake, and he grabbed Jacob by the throat. The chair in which Jacob was seated, shook violently from the force of Edward's momentum. It would have thrown both of them to the floor had it not been bolted to the ground.

As Edward tighten his hold, he saw in Jacob's eyes a brief moment of triumph, but that quickly turned to panic. The man tried unsuccessfully to pull away, but his restraints held him immobile and deterred his escape.

"You bastard…" Edward yelled, and disengaging his right hand from Jacob's throat, brought his fist in contact with the man's jaw.

There was a loud crack as bone met bone, and Jacob's head snapped backwards. A pain shot across Edward's knuckles and up his arm, but he was past the point of caring. He drew his hand back and delivered another blow. This one smashed into Jacob's nose, and shortly after that, blood began to pour from his broken nose. Jacob went into a fresh attempt of trying to dodge Edward's fist, but Edward had no intention of allowing him to escape. He once again wrapped both hands around the man's neck and applied pressure.

Jacob gasped and wheezed as blood filled his mouth, and he felt his air supply become severely compromised. He coughed, and saw little flash bulbs of light explode in his quickly darkening vision. As his lungs and chest burned, and the coppery, salty taste of his blood coated his tongue and the back of his throat, Jacob felt himself slipping down a long, dark tunnel.

Through the haze of his anger, Edward heard the door bang open and a chorus of voices commanded him to let go. He chose to ignore, instead he increased his grip. The voices continued to yell and abruptly, he was dragged off the writhing man and off to a corner of the room. He struggled against the hands restraining him, but to no avail – they held him fast.

Jacob drew in a few ragged breaths and coughed as air flooded his oxygen deprived lungs. He spat out the blood on the floor and glared at Edward, who was still trying to shake his captors off. There was a wild look in his eyes and blood was smeared all over the front of his shirt. For the first time in his adult life, Jacob felt fear. If the guards had not intervened, he would probably be dead by now. Edward Cullen had had the audacity to put his hands on him - to touch him. Jacob felt himself begin to shake from fear and anger. There would be serious repercussions from this.

"I want to press charges," he croaked. His throat felt as if it had been crushed and then dragged across a bed of razors. It was on fire, and he was in agony. "He attacked me for no reason. I was defenseless."

"Shut up, Black," one of the guards ordered harshly. He gestured for the two men holding Edward to remove him from the room. "Before I turn him loose on your sorry ass."

When they got outside, Edward leaned against the wall, closed his eyes and drew in a deep breath. He had to get himself under control before he went back into that room and killed Jacob Black. He could almost imagine himself doing it and what scared him the most was that he knew he would enjoy every minute.

"Hey, buddy, you okay?" one of his escorts asked. The man barred the door with his body as if he knew what Edward was thinking.

Edward nodded. "I'll be okay,"

He felt the adrenaline levels in his system plummet, and then the ramifications of what he had done hit him - hard. He had totally lost control and tried to kill someone. Granted, that person deserved to be dead, but it wasn't his place to mete out justice, and he knew better. He may have just fucked everything up…including his job. He could almost smell 'suspension' in the air. He groaned.

"Okay," the man said as he seemed to realise Edward had brought himself under control. "Someone will escort you to get cleaned up and then I'll take you to your transport." He then disappeared back inside the room.

It was only at the mention of 'clean up', did Edward realise he was covered in blood, and none of it was his own. He looked awful and then the pain in his hand called his attention. He grimaced as he flexed his stiff fingers, and a dull, stabbing pain shot up his arm. The knuckles were bruised and were already showing signs of swelling. He would not be surprise if he had fractured his hand.

Someone cleared their throat, and Edward so caught up in his internal musing, just set off down the corridor behind the man. The man directed him to the bathroom, but to his surprise, instead of standing outside the door, entered with him and leaned against it. Edward assumed they were making sure he did not return to the room.

Edward ignored the man and proceeded to wash his face. He hissed when the water ran over his bruised knuckles. It was then he heard the man sigh loudly. He looked up and into the eyes of Jacob's Black's new guard, Kit Carson, or Special Agent Mark Grannum as he was known to those he worked with.

"Well, you really fucked up back there," Mark grumbled. "You almost killed him."

Edward turned off the faucet and yanking a few paper towels from the dispenser with his good hand, wiped his face. There was little he could do about the blood on his shirt, so he left it. Dumping the soiled towels into the garbage, he turned to Mark, who was lounging casually against the door, his arms folded across his chest.

"Speaking of fuck ups, I heard he made you almost as soon as you stepped foot in his cell," Edward stated, censure in his tone.

Mark was about to answer when there was a knock on the door. He stepped away from the door and the guard who had enquired into Edward's 'state of mind', stuck his head inside. He gave both men a curious look.

"Is everything okay?" he asked, his eyes moving between Edward and Mark. "We're taking Black to the infirmary, so you'll have to escort Agent Cullen out, Carson."

"Not a problem, Frank," Mark said, his tone sounding almost bored. "I think Agent Cullen is more than ready to leave."

"Okay," Frank said, and disappeared leaving the two men alone.

"Outside," Mark commanded, holding the door open for Edward.

They set off down another corridor and when they got to the large metal door at its end, Mark placed his face in front of a scanner. The mechanism inside the wall scanned his retina and the door clicked, and slid open without a sound.

Preferring to wait until they were outside the building, Mark remained silent as he took Edward through the remainder of the security checkpoints. Before they exited the main building, Edward collected his gun, cell phone and a few other personal items from the main security locker. Thank God the requirements for all outside law enforcement officers, was to leave their firearms at the checkpoint. He probably would have shot Jacob Black on the spot, if he had access to his gun.

Mark and Edward went through one last door and stepped out into the afternoon air. In the distance between the prison and the mountains, Edward could see a mass of angry looking thunder clouds forming, and he smelled the moisture in the air. The wind had picked up since he entered the prison and the muted sound of thunder coming from the direction of the clouds could be heard.

"My fuck up was done on purpose, yours was done out of anger," Mark corrected as they made their way across the parking lot towards the area which doubled as additional parking and a runway.

"Really, so what was the plan again? Let the dangerous criminal know that you're an agent so that you can make him open up? Wow, Mark great plan," Edward sneered. "I should take your ass off the case and send you back to Atlanta."

Mark looked slightly peeved. "You sent me here to do a job. You never specified how exactly to get that job done," he reminded, then he shrugged. "So, I improvised."

Edward raised an eyebrow speculatively. "Some improvisation."

"Hey, don't knock it. He's spoken to me more than any of the other guards," Mark gloated. "I think he trusts me a bit."

"Why would he do that? He's got a pretty good idea who you are. You've compromised yourself and placed the operation in jeopardy," Edward argued.

Mark shook his head. "Think about this. What type of agent makes it so easy for the person he was sent to spy on to figure out who he is? He thinks I'm green, Edward - green, inept and inexperienced. He'll try to use me; I know it."

Edward mulled over Mark's argument for a few seconds. As ridiculous as it seemed, the theory was sound. Jacob Black was so self absorbed that he probably gave himself extremely high marks for spotting the agent. And, because he thought Mark was young and inexperienced, he would see him as a pawn he could use, and may convince to join him. _Hell, it might actually work_, but still, it worried Edward. Mark was putting himself in unnecessary danger and while they desperately needed information, it was not worth the man's life.

He chose Mark to infiltrate the prison because he was an unknown. They had worked together in the past, but Mark originated from the Atlanta office, not Seattle like the five others he chose for this case.

Edward had done this because he trusted no one, and if there was a leak in his office then they would have an inside line to the prison. With the exception of himself, Mark's boss and Shannon, whom he trusted implicitly, no one knew about Mark. Not even James. Not that he didn't trust James, but the less people who knew, the better.

"Okay, I admit your plan just might work," Edward admitted grudgingly. "But at the first sign of trouble I'm pulling you out. I would hate for Tessa to come after me. By the way, how is she taking this?"

Tessa was Mark's wife, and she was seven months pregnant with the couple's second child. Actually, Tessa had been Edward's girlfriend in college, but they had broken up shortly before he met Bella. They realised from early on that they were better suited as friends and not a couple. However, they had remained in contact, and it was through her that he met Mark.

Mark grinned. "She's pissed at you, but she understands. I'm just hoping to get this wrapped up before the little one comes. Otherwise, she's promised to cut my nuts off and wear them as earrings." He shuddered slightly and Edward couldn't help but smile. That sounded exactly like something Tessa would say. She was a tough as nails kind of woman.

They reached the helicopter, and Edward took one last look at the man. Mark seemed so sure of himself, but from past experience, he knew there was still a shit load of things that could go wrong.

"Be careful," he warned and gestured to the 'fortress' behind them. "It's not as secure as they would have you believe in there."

Mark frowned. "What do you mean? What do you know?"

"Someone has been feeding Jacob Black information," Edward said as he remembered Jacob's reference to Bella's attack. "That puts you in a dangerous position."

"How's that possible? This place is locked down tighter than Fort Knox."

"Believe me when I tell you there's a leak. Be careful, watch your ass and trust no one." Edward advised.

As the helicopter lifted off, he gave Mark the thumbs up sign and prayed to God that that would not be the last time he saw him alive.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~***

Emmett dialed Edward's number once more and waited impatiently for the phone to ring. He was trying to reach Edward earlier in the day, but the calls just went straight to voice mail. He had left a few messages, but Edward still had not returned his calls. He was getting a bad feeling and the feeling intensified as the day progressed, and Edward remained incommunicado.

He paced up and down the kitchen floor as his agitation increased. His mother and Rose gave him wary looks, but otherwise remained silent. They knew he was worried about Edward and as time went by, they had begun to do the same.

When the phone continued to ring, Emmett breathed a sigh of relief. On the fourth ring, Edward picked it up, and immediately Emmett knew something was wrong – Edward sounded like shit.

"Hello, Emmett," Edward greeted, his voice flat.

"Where the hell are you?" Emmett barked into the phone. "I've been trying to reach you all day."

Edward sighed. "Sorry about that, but I couldn't use my phone where I was."

"And where was that?" Emmett interrogated. "Where are you, Edward? It's nine o' clock and I know you're not at home."

Edward paused and Emmett could hear the sound of a television in the background. He heard Edward fumble with the phone and suddenly there was silence.

"Edward---" Emmett prompted, tapping his foot impatiently. Edward was stalling and that made Emmett extremely suspicious.

"I'm in Colorado," Edward said, his voice devoid of emotion.

An express train filled with dread slammed into Emmett as he realised who and what was in Colorado, better yet Florence. That explained a lot. Edward wasn't unable to answer his phone, he flat out refused to. Edward knew that if Emmett had had a clue as to where he was, there would have been hell to pay. Based on the tone of Edward's voice, he knew something had happened.

"What's happened?" Emmett asked, trying to keep the rising panic from his voice. He was unsuccessful because Rose and his mother looked up and immediately came to his side. They both looked worried and anxious.

"Do the words _'suspension'_ and _'unemployment'_ ring any bells?"

Emmett groaned and rubbed his hand down his face. "Oh, Lord, what did you do? How badly is he hurt?"

Esme gasped and quickly left the room. She returned a few minutes later with Carlisle in tow. She gestured to Emmett, silently demanding that he hand the phone over to his father. Emmett shook his head and moved a little out of arms reach.

Edward gave a shaky laugh. "I think I broke his nose and he'll probably have some difficulty talking and swallowing for a few days – partially crushed larynx."

"Shit! Are you hurt?"

Another bubble of almost hysterical sounding laughter erupted from Edward, and Emmett cringed. While Edward sounded cool, almost detached, the sound of his laughter was at odds with the feelings Emmett picked up. He guessed that Edward was trying extremely hard not to break and that concerned him.

"Well, the doctor at the hospital…" Edward began.

A chill raced up Emmett's spine and he gripped the cell phone tighter. "Hospital? You went to the hospital?"

This brought the rest of his family on high alert, and when Esme tried to grab the phone, Emmett waved her off and took a step back. She looked positively livid, and Emmett knew she was about to tackle him and wrestle the phone from his hands.

"Yeah. My hand's going to be out of commission for a few days. The doctor said I almost fractured it – almost. The damn thing hurt so bad I thought it was broken." Edward mumbled.

"Gees, Edward, broken? How hard did you hit him anyway?"

Upon hearing this, Carlisle grabbed the phone from Emmett's hand and quickly placed it to his ear. Emmett gave him an exasperated look, but this earned him a slap on his arm from both his mother and Rose.

"Son, what happened?" Carlisle demanded.

**~*~*~***

By the time Edward had finished speaking to his parents, his hand and head were throbbing in unison. He shook two of the painkillers the doctor prescribed into his mouth, and washed them down with a bottle of water. He leaned back against the pillows and replayed the day's events in his mind.

His day had begun great, but had quickly gone down hill. Instinctively, he knew that his coming to Colorado was not the greatest of ideas, but once again he fooled himself into believing that everything would be okay. He would see Jacob Black, talk with him and then leave, all the while maintaining his professionalism and not allowing his personal feelings to affect his work. Now that was a laugh. He had not only sent his professionalism down the toilet, but his loss of control resulted in Jacob Black being admitted to a hospital overnight for observation.

Shortly after he had arrived at the hotel, Mark had called. He informed him that Jacob's throat had begun to swell shut while he was at the infirmary. The doctors had had to intubate him to keep him breathing while they transported him to the hospital. The broken nose didn't help the situation as they were forced to shove the breathing tube down the same rapidly swelling throat. Despite all that, Jacob was going to be back on his feet in a few days time, and would be transferred back to the prison tomorrow.

Edward sighed and squeezed the bridge of his nose. How had things gotten so entirely out of control? He felt as if he was swimming against a strong current and was in danger of being swept away.

He thought of Bella and felt a deep, aching hole open up inside his chest. He felt so good about them, but after his conversation with Black, everything changed. There was absolutely no way he could have a relationship with Bella at this time. It was too dangerous. Jacob's reference to the type of people Bella hung out with was a veiled threat. If they became involved, she would once again be drawn into the middle of the fray and would ultimately be hurt or worse yet, killed.

He needed to distance himself from her, but just thinking about it almost killed him. What he would have to do would be hard, and this time there might be no coming back for the two of them. She would hate him too much, but what choice did he have? He couldn't be selfish, take what he wanted and put her in danger. He loved her way too much to do that.

Something had happened. Something had changed to make Jacob move against Bella. Why now after all this time send someone after her? They weren't communicating before the attack, so it wasn't as if she was someone of vital importance anymore. Or was she, still?

Edward sat up suddenly and ran the fingers of his good hand through his hair. A horrifying theory came to his mind, but if what he was thinking was correct, then he was the reason Bella had been attacked. Did Jacob Black use Bella to send him a direct message? Was she fated to die the night of the attack? And when Jacob realised his attempt failed, did he use that to draw Bella and Edward together again?

Bella had no other family left, so it was obvious that he would step in and take care of her if anything happened. Was that why Jacob suddenly requested to meet with him? To remind him of what could happen if he did not let up? It all made sense. The realisation scared him. While Bella had gotten a reprieve, she was still in danger. As long as she was tied to him and Jacob Black drew breath, she would be in danger.

"Oh my God," Edward groaned and quickly grabbed his cell phone.

He checked his watch and realizing it was after nine in Washington, quickly dialed Alice's number. She answered on the second ring, her voice groggy and irritable.

"What do you want, Edward?" she grumbled. "We're trying to sleep."

"Is Bella close by?" he asked, hoping that she was not as he would have a hell of a time explaining why he was calling Alice's phone instead of hers.

"Yes, but she's asleep," Alice said, yawning. "Is something wrong?"

"No," he lied, reluctant to cause Alice any alarm. "I was just worried that's all. When are you coming home?"

"Tomorrow afternoon," she said, yawning again. "We should arrive shortly after five."

"Okay, go get some rest. I'll see you tomorrow."

Edward threw the cell phone down on the bed and began to pace within the small confines of his room. His first instinct was to get to Bella and protect her, but he was too far away. Even if he was in Washington, there wasn't anything more he could do. If he showed up in Forks she would immediately want to know why he was there and he would have to tell her – he couldn't lie. He sighed dejectedly.

She was safe for now. As long as Jacob Black remained out of commission for a while, it would give him the opportunity to fix things. And when Black realised that Bella was no longer Edward's top priority, he would leave her alone and center his attention on his true target…him.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~***

**End Notes:**

So what did you think? Hit or miss? Oh yes...I wanted to let you know that I actually have a Twitter account. I use my penname so I should be pretty easy to find. Go on over and follow me. I like to give updates on how the story is coming along and other things. I can be a bit of a nutter at times LOL.


	22. The Things We Do

**So here I am again; bringing you your 'fix' so to speak. My sincerest apologies for taking so long with this one, but I can assure you the next one won't follow the same pattern. **

**I want to especially thank **_cullenbear_** and **_Meadowgirl552,_** who constantly keep me on my toes. Thank you so much for your support. This one is for you.**

**Thanks also go out to **_Sammy73_**, **_malana09_**, **_vicki86_**, **_dreampills_**, **_Twilightforever_**, **_magan bagan_** and **_The Teddy Bear_** who have been there from the beginning cheering me on.**

**To all others who read, reviewed, added the story to their favourites/alerts and me as one of your favourite authors, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!! **

**Now…on with the show………..**

* * *

**Chapter 21 - The Things We Do....**

Edward unceremoniously dumped his overnight bag on his desk, and was about to exit the office when James walked in. He clutched a cup of coffee in one hand and a manila folder in the other. He looked surprised to see Edward, and his eyes went to Edward's bandaged hand which was encased in a blue sling.

"Hey, you're back," James greeted, shoving the folder in his desk drawer and placing the coffee on the desk. "What the hell happened to your hand?"

It was now Edward's turn to look surprised. He assumed that by now the entire office had heard about the incident with Black. Bad news tended to travel fast in the office, and while he had never been the focal point of water-cooler gossip, this was definitely a hot topic. He was amazed it took this long to make the usual rounds. It had certainly gotten back to his boss.

Shannon called him last night and directed him to come straight to his office when he came in. He did not sound pleased. That confirmed his suspicions that someone from the prison had called and informed him that his agent had lost his cool and assaulted a prisoner.

"In case you haven't heard, I tried to kill someone yesterday," Edward said, checking his pocket for his badge. Based on Shannon's tone of voice, there was no doubt in his mind where his upcoming meeting was going - straight down the crapper.

James laughed, but then sobered when he realised that Edward was dead serious.

"You're serious! Who?" James took a sip of his coffee and sat on the corner of his desk.

"Jacob Black," Edward said through gritted teeth. The mere mention of the name made his blood boil.

James's eyes widened, and he began to cough uncontrollably. "Are you fucking kidding me? You were in Colorado?"

Edward gave him a strange look. 'Didn't Shannon tell you where I was?"

James shrugged and tried to look nonchalant, but Edward was not fooled. He could tell that something was bothering his partner.

"Nope. No one knew where you were. All he would say was that you were on official business out of state."

Edward heard a bit of bitterness creep into James's voice and he wondered what aspect of him being out of state was pissing James off. It wasn't as if this was the first time either of them had been sent on separate assignments.

"Well," Edward muttered, fatigue suddenly crashing down on him. He hardly slept the night before and in addition to the jet lag, he was barely standing upright. "Now you know."

"So," James began, bringing his cup to his lips. "Why the sudden trip to see a man you hate?"

"_He_ wanted to see _me_," Edward corrected. James's mismatched pair of eyes watched him shrewdly over the rim of his cup. "Is something wrong?"

James blinked, shrugged again and hopping down from his perch, sat in his chair. "No, nothing's wrong. Just wondering why after three years he decided that he wants to see you. And was it so top secret that you couldn't warn your partner?"

The word "warn" struck Edward as odd, but he quickly brushed it off. Obviously, something was eating away at James, but now was not the time to get into it. He first had to go get fired or suspended or accept whatever disciplinary action was meted out to him.

"It was a last minute thing," Edward explained, eager to end the conversation. "I came to work and 'boom', Shannon drops the bomb. There wasn't time to call you, and when I was finished, talking was the last thing on my mind, okay?"

Edward's voice took on a hard, belligerent tone and he sighed. Yesterday's incident, plus the meeting which loomed over his head like a death sentence, was making him short tempered. It wasn't fair to take out his frustrations on James; it wasn't his fault everything had gone south.

"Look, Shannon is waiting for me," Edward said, heading towards the door. "We'll continue this later...if he doesn't fire me first."

James laughed, but instead of it being a happy, jovial sound, it was filled with bitterness. "Don't worry about that, Edward, he won't fire you. You're his golden boy, so don't fret too much about it. Most you'll get is a slap on the wrist and maybe a few days at home."

Edward froze at James's words and he turned to look at his partner. James's face was composed, serene, and was completely at odds with his tone. He had sounded almost angry - resentful, and that was unusual. It made Edward wonder if James was having some problem he knew nothing about - a problem with him.

"Is there something you want to say? Because if there is you should really get it off your chest," Edward advised, his voice devoid of emotion.

Something flittered across James's face for a brief moment before an apologetic look settled there instead. He shifted uncomfortably in his chair and looked at a spot just above Edward's left shoulder.

"No, there's nothing," he muttered, rubbing his eyes. "Sorry about that. I'm just really tired; didn't sleep much last night."

In most cases Edward would have accepted James's explanation for his strange behavior, but this time he couldn't. Something was wrong - something he couldn't put his finger on. However, he was willing to place it on the back burner...for now.

"Right, well we'll deal with this later. I've got to go."

By the time Edward reached Shannon's office, he was calm and fully prepared to accept whatever the consequences were for his actions. He was an adult, and he would see this through to the very end. Even if that end meant the conclusion of his career as an agent.

Edward knocked, and pushed the door when Shannon bade him to enter. The man was standing beside the large window staring out at the Seattle skyline, a thoughtful expression on his face. Edward was seated in the chair opposite Shannon's desk by the time the man turned his attention towards him. His eyes took in Edward's damaged hand.

"How's the hand?" he asked, gruffly.

Edward raised an eyebrow and shrugged. "It hurts, but that's a given, right?"

Shannon nodded. "Yes. You want to tell me what the hell happened?

His voice was the same even tone, but a bit of anger seeped into the corners of the calm. This immediately sent prickles up Edward's back and he shifted into defensive mode.

"Look, if you want to fire me, just do it," he said, sullenly. "I know I messed up, and I deserve whatever punishment you think is apt."

Shannon looked surprised by Edward's outburst. However, the surprise quickly turned to disbelief and then indignation.

"I'm not going to fire you, but I think I deserve an explanation," Shannon corrected, quietly as he sat in his chair. "I see this as partially my fault. I saw this coming, but I still sent you there, so I feel responsible."

Edward snorted. "_You_ did not connect _my_ fist with Black's face. I did it all on my own." He sighed, clearly feeling defeated. "He threatened my family and---"

"And---" Shannon prompted, leaning forward on his desk.

"And he threatened Bella. He practically admitted that he was the one responsible for her attack," Edward's voice came out broken. "He said it was because of me that she was attacked."

Shannon was silent, all the while his brain working hard. He knew this was the real reason for Edward's loss of control - Bella. He suspected that was what really caused the fight before. Edward was fiercely protective of his wife, now ex-wife. So much so that even though they were divorced, he still kept tabs on her. When she was attacked a few months ago, Shannon thought Edward might go downhill. When that did not happen, he felt a level of relief that, he now knew, was ill-advised as his supervisor to feel. When Edward first arrived from Quantico, he was one of the agents that he took under his wing. He had realized the enormous potential Edward had from early on. He also saw him as a son.

He knew Edward loved Bella, but so did Jacob Black. Unfortunately, the man would use this to his advantage and try to break Edward. Edward was aware of this, so it was beyond him why he had taken the bait.

"Did he actually say he was responsible?" Shannon asked, trying to be the voice of reason.

Edward shook his head. "No, he didn't _say_ the words, but he implied it."

"So then it's all conjecture, and is not admissible. If we went around hitting or prosecuting people on the basis of implication, we would find ourselves in complete and total anarchy."

"I know that, but just like the deaths of Michael and Susan, he's going to get away with it due to lack of evidence," Edward said frustrated. He pounded on the handle of his chair with his good fist in anger.

Shannon leaned back in his chair and shrugged. "Then get some, and let's send that bastard away for the rest of his life or better yet, get the death penalty," he suggested. "In the meantime, I want you to take a few days off to re-group and rest that hand."

James's words immediately came to Edward's mind; words which were now oddly prophetic. They made him feel uncomfortable. James's "golden boy" comment had hit a nerve then, but now it developed into an intense sore spot. It made Edward wonder how many other people saw it the same way. How many people, inclusive of his partner, resented him? Had the world suddenly turned itself upside down? Bella's admission, Black's unexpected summons, James's attitude and now Shannon's surprisingly calm demeanor, were all outside of the norm. It was as if he was trapped in an alternate reality.

"I'm fine," Edward protested. "The doctor said I should be good as new in a few days."

Shannon gave him a stern look. "Yes, and that is why you'll take the leave." When Edward opened his mouth to object, Shannon held up a hand. "It's not a request, Edward. I'll see you on Monday."

Shannon turned to his computer and completely ignored Edward. Realising he had been dismissed, Edward stood and left the office. He learned from early on that once Shannon made up his mind about something, that was it.

Feeling reluctant to return to his office and face James, Edward took a left and detoured to a lab at the far end of the hallway. Before he left the office, he needed to speak with Andy Chou aka "The Wizard," about the evidence he collected from the Susan Collins' "accident" scene. She was the second witness who died while in protective custody.

During his first week back on the case, Edward had travelled to San Antonio and retrieved what little evidence had been collected by the San Antonio police department. Upon his return, he immediately handed it over to Andy and crossed his fingers that the evidence was not too degraded to provide a clue as to the type of vehicle which had caused the woman's death. It was one of the small bits of evidence which could help connect the other pieces of the bigger picture - a picture which in its entirety, would prove Jacob Black to be the murdering, evil bastard he really was.

Andy was the head Forensic Scientist, and was responsible for processing evidence and providing them with the information they needed to solve their cases. In essence, he was the equivalent of Gil Grissom from _C.S.I._, minus the penchant for all things creepy-crawly.

Andy's last report narrowed the search to 60,000 vehicles with the same generic paint job. However, he promised to use another relatively new method to see if he could narrow the playing field somewhat. That was a week ago, and Edward hoped Andy had good news for him now. They were running out of time and the longer evidence remained absent, the farther they would get from solving the case.

Edward now had more of a reason to find evidence against Jacob Black. The man was so confident during their meeting that he would come out of this unscathed. Edward knew that one of Black's trump cards was Bella, but that was a card which would soon be taken from the deck. He just needed enough time and the right kind of evidence to put that bastard away for good, and keep him out of their lives.

**~*~*~***

Edward was sitting in the recliner in the study with his eyes closed when he heard a car door slam shut. He knew without checking that it was Bella and Alice, and they would soon be inside. After that, there would be no escape, no more delays. The time that was ticking away rapidly, had now dwindled to mere seconds, precious seconds which were of the utmost importance.

He sighed. He was out of time and still had not found an alternative solution to his problem. He had to let her go. Somewhere between the wee hours of the morning and his flight home, he finally convinced himself that what he was about to do was for the best. However, the more he analysed it, the less sure he became.

Something told him he was about to make a colossal error in judgment, but he had run out of options. He wracked his brain and nothing new presented itself. He had been backed into a corner and had no other choice.

The front door slammed, and he tried to quell the rising panic which was now attacking him with renewed gusto. As much as he would have liked to, he could not hide away in here all night long. Eventually, he would have to face Bella and set his plan in action.

Alice's high voice reached him, and he dragged his weary body up and towards the door. Edward held on to the doorknob, then he felt it being pushed from the opposite direction. He caught Bella's unique fragrance a split second before he saw her. His stomach tightened, and his throat went dry. He let go of the doorknob and stepped back to allow the door swing inwards.

Bella gave a startled little shriek when she saw him, then giggled. Her eyes were bright, and her face was flushed. She seemed happy and excited, making what he was about to do all the more difficult.

"Hey, you're home," she said breathlessly.

Edward took in every contour and detail of Bella's beauty, and forced himself not to take her face between his hands and kiss her soft lips. Before he could force his tongue to form the words of a reply, her eyes went to his bandaged hand. Concern immediately erased the happiness from her eyes. She reached out and gently took his hand in hers.

"Edward, what happened?" she asked, brushing her fingers across the coarse material.

He cleared his throat. "It's nothing. Just one of the disadvantages of the job."

Bella raised an eyebrow as if to say "that's not much of an explanation," and continued to examine his hand. Her fingers brushed across his bare skin causing him to inhale sharply. Her touch was like a hot brand on his skin.

Bella's eyes instantly looked up at his, and she looked sorry. A slight blush made its way across her cheeks and up to the roots of her hair, which was pulled back into a slightly off-centered ponytail at the base of her neck.

"Oh crap, does it hurt? I'm so sorry," she apologized, gently holding his hand as if the slightest movement would cause him pain. She had misunderstood his inhalation, and he was thankful for that.

"It's okay," he reassured, slowly extracting his hand from hers.

If he intended to go through with his plan, then he could not allow himself to become distracted. Her touch was a definite distraction. It rocked him to the very core of his being.

Edward stepped around Bella, taking special care not to let any part of his body touch hers, and began to walk towards the kitchen.

"How was your trip?" he asked, when she caught up to him.

Bella chewed the corner of her lip thoughtfully. The strange vibe she was getting from Edward made her uncomfortable. It was almost as if his body was present, but his mind was certainly far away.

"It was great," she said. "The trip to Forks High was nice. A lot of the teachers are still there, and they remember me. I remembered Mr. Bruce, my Biology teacher. He said I was one of his best students, and Mrs. Cole, she taught me English. She said I had an imagination that would give any author out there a run for their money."

Edward chuckled as they entered the kitchen, where he found Alice pushing the refrigerator door closed with one foot. Her arms were laden with a variety of food items, some of which threatened to slide to the floor. Edward took a loaf of bread from the top of the pile and a few other items before they fell.

"Thanks," she mumbled around the pickle which was sticking out of her mouth. "What are you doing home and what happened to your hand?" Alice's shrewd eyes gave his hand the once over.

Alice quickly grabbed three plates, but put one back when Edward shook his head. She brought them over to the table and began to put together the makings of two sandwiches.

"I'm off for a few days, and a little accident on the job," he answered. Something about Alice's expression gave him the distinct impression that she did not believe him. He kept his eyes on her, daring her to question him. He relaxed when she shrugged and returned her attention to the task at hand.

He grabbed a chair, and placed it on the opposite side of Bella. He needed to ensure he kept his distance. As it was, her fragrance was still wreaking havoc on his senses.

Alice slid the plate with the finished sandwich across the table towards Bella, who dug into it with an enthusiasm he had not seen her display towards food since she had left the hospital. The trip to Forks had done wonders for her. Her appetite was obviously back. While Bella had put on some weight since she had returned to Washington, in Edward's opinion, she was still too skinny. He was accustomed to her former curves, especially when she was naked.

Edward closed his eyes and stopped breathing for a fraction of a minute. His body hardened painfully at the images that bombarded his brain. He was thankful that he was sitting as that was the only thing hiding his arousal.

"So, Bella, you're going to have to keep yourself occupied tonight since I won't be here," Alice announced.

Alice's voice was muffled by her sandwich, but she sounded as if she was laughing. There was an almost too innocent expression on her face, and Bella blushed again. Edward looked at both of the women and got the feeling he was the source of some sort of joke.

"Where are you going?" Bella asked. She sounded a bit breathless and kept her eyes trained on Alice.

"Jasper wants to see me," Alice giggled, her cheeks turning slightly pink. "He said he's got something special planned."

_I bet that's not all he has planned,_ Edward thought, wryly. His suspicions were confirmed when Alice wiggled her eyebrows suggestively, and Bella dissolved into a fit of giggles.

Edward shook his head. "Pervert," he muttered.

Alice flipped him the bird and then gave him a sly look. "Maybe, Edward here can order in some dinner and you two can talk." Again there went the innocent face; the unspoken words _"It's about time,"_ hung heavy in the air.

Edward observed Bella's body became still, and her face flamed up once more. She had done quite a bit of blushing since she returned. He, on the other hand, wanted to beg Alice not to go, to stay home and save him from himself. Being alone with Bella, at this moment, held a different significance than it had in the past months. They had admitted that their feelings went beyond that of just mere friendship. They crossed the line, and now it was impossible to cross back.

But maybe it was good that Alice would not be here to witness what he was about to do. As small as she was, he was sure she would stake him down and leave him for the vultures to pick his bones clean or subject him to other sort of heinous torture. If he thought he was over protective where Bella was concerned, then Alice reminded him of a lioness guarding her young - lethal.

Edward cleared his throat and turned to Bella. "That sounds like a good idea. What do you feel like having?"

_You,_ Bella kept herself from blurting out in response. She bit the inside of her cheek in order to still her tongue and stifle her horrified laughter. She could just imagine his expression of shock at her blatant sexual innuendo.

"Whatever," she said, dismissively. "I'm not fussy."

Bella finished off the sandwich, washed the plate and turned to Alice, who was speaking animatedly about their trip to Forks, hand gestures and all. Edward was now leaning with his hip against the counter, a smile on his lips, listening to Alice talk a mile a minute. Bella took in the long, sleek line of his body and felt the air around her grow warm, and then uncomfortably hot. It was almost as if her body's internal thermostat had just been switched on in the "High" position.

As he felt her eyes upon him, Edward glanced briefly in her direction, and his eyes widened slightly. Bella's hands flew to her hot cheeks, and she wondered if he could see that she was all hot and needy.

_Oh my God! How embarrassing,_ she thought.

Alice's words about them going at it in the kitchen returned to her, and as impossible as it seemed, her face progressed to another shade of red.

Bella tightened her hand around her cane and edged her way towards the doorway, feeling freedom was within her grasp. She felt Edward's eyes follow her movements, and then she realised that the room was silent. Bella's eyes flew to Alice's, who was watching them. Her expression was a mixture of amusement and smug satisfaction. She knew exactly what Bella was thinking and was enjoying every second of her discomfort.

"Going somewhere, Bella?" Alice asked, her voice barely disguising her laughter. Bella glowered at her.

"Uh, I need to take a bath," she blurted out, and then groaned silently. It was not the best thing to say given her current state of mind. Visions of Edward assisting her with her bath invaded her thoughts.

Edward remained silent, but his eyes seemed to smolder at the mention of her taking a bath. Bella was thankful that she was without the benefit of her past memories when it came to this part of their relationship. She suspected that having prior knowledge of what it was like to be with him would be confusing and disconcerting.

To feel his long, slender fingers run over her skin. She would probably be in the throes of a full blown orgasm by now. That thought alone made her move faster. She thanked Jasper and his relentless persistence to get her to walk.

"Edward, call me when dinner arrives," were the last words she threw at them before escaping from the room and into the sanctuary of her bedroom.

**~*~*~***

Bella watched as Edward pushed an olive aimlessly around his plate with his fork, first to the left, then to the right and then back to its starting point. He concentrated on the small, black fruit as if it was the most important thing in the world.

She sighed. Obviously something weighed heavily on his mind. So much so, that most of her attempts at conversation had been met with one or two word answers. After a while, she simply gave up and just concentrated on her food. It was pretty good, but it wasn't good enough to make her forget her dinner companion or ignore the tension filled air threatening to choke them both.

This was not how she envisioned their reunion. She pictured something less stressful, happier, easier. Like the coming together of two souls who had been apart, searching for each other, only to chance at the reunion they had dreamt of for so long.

_Enough is enough_, Bella decided. She would have to make the first move since he wasn't going to. Bella reached across the table and placed her hand over his bandaged one. Abruptly, the movements of the fork halted. Edward stiffened, and to Bella it was as if he was waiting. It was as if he were a small animal, frozen by the sense that its predator was close by.

"Edward," she said softly. He did not raise his eyes from the plate. "Are you okay?"

Edward's face became stone-like, but the column of his throat fluttered as he swallowed - once, twice and then again. He exhaled and raised his eyes to meet hers. What she saw in the green pools of his eyes made her shiver. There was a remoteness there that she had never seen before.

"I'm fine," he finally said, his lips twitched with the ghost of a smile, a smile that never broke through to the surface.

Bella sighed. "Okay, I'll let you get away with that blatant lie, but you'll have to tell me eventually."

Something changed in Edward's eyes, and he straightened himself in his chair. There was a fierce determination set there, and it made Bella worry. Edward set his fork down and slowly extracted his hand from under Bella's. Her eyes widened slightly, and a glimmer of hurt flashed there before it quickly disappeared.

"We need to talk," he said in a hoarse, strained whisper. "Let's take a walk."

The sun had disappeared behind the forest of Sitka spruces, but its brilliant fingers of light were still visible. The sky to the east was darkening as the remaining light slowly bled into the west. One could almost see the sifting light bands follow its source as if they were afraid to become disconnected from their parent.

The first chorus of the crickets began, and Bella shoved her free hand into the pocket of her jacket. She drew in a deep breath. The heady fragrance of grass, the lingering sunlight and pine drifted across her senses. She sighed contentedly. She loved this place, and she knew without Alice having to confirm that this was where she belonged. This was her home, and Edward was the one she wanted to share that home with.

She looked at him from the corner of her eye and felt her heart swell within the confines of her chest. It was then that she knew it - she loved him. Her heat thudded to a halt and then began its beat again, but at a much accelerated rhythm.

She loved him. Bella smiled. It was the first time she had really admitted it, and it felt wonderful. She felt free, unfettered by the chains of uncertainty and fear. This love she felt for Edward made her feel whole. It was as if her admission opened the flood gates. A tidal wave of emotions flooded out, and she drew to a halt before they reached the wooden jetty.

Edward was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't realize that Bella was not at his side until he was a few feet away. He turned to look at her, and what he saw on Bella's face stopped him cold. Her eyes were luminous pools of chocolate, her pale skin flushed and her smile...breathtaking. She was so incredibly beautiful that it just about broke his heart.

Bella walked towards him, slowly, cautiously, all the while her eyes on him - her beautiful smile only for him. He knew that look. He had seen it so many times before. It was the one he had been longing to see again, but now it filled him with despair. He knew she loved him, and bastard that he was, he knew that he was about to break her heart again.

Bella stood just inches away from him before he managed to pull himself together. She reached out and brushed her fingertips against his jaw. Her fingers left a trail of fire in their wake, and he had to stop himself from leaning into her touch. Edward gritted his teeth and deliberately took a step backwards, putting some distance between them. Bella frowned and dropped her hand to her side. She seemed puzzled by his reaction to her touch.

Edward folded his arms across his chest and drew in a deep breath_. It's now or never_. If he continued to be close to her, especially with her looking at him that way, he was going to cave-in like a wet paper bag.

"Bella---" Edward began, and suddenly his perfectly rehearsed speech flew clean out of his head as he stared into her eyes. Feeling as if he was drowning, he quickly averted his eyes.

Bella closed the distance between them in a surprisingly short space of time, and placed her finger on his lips, trapping his speech inside.

'Wait," she pleaded. "I need to say something first."

Edward's momentary hesitation was all it took for Bella to charge ahead with her own prepared speech. She knew they were both past the point where they had to pretend.

"I know," she whispered, watching Edward frown in confusion. "I know about us."

Edward's face immediately went two shades paler than a day old corpse. He opened his mouth against Bella's finger, almost as if he had forgotten it was there. He slowly took her hand from his lips and then took another step back. He gripped the wooden rail with his bandaged hand and felt a pain shoot across his knuckles. He flinched, but then used the pain to focus.

"What exactly is it you think you know?" he asked, hoarsely. He was surprised his vocal chords cooperated as they seemed to be paralysed a few minutes before.

Bella tilted her head to a side. She was still smiling, but her lips trembled just a fraction.

"I know we were more than friends. I know we lived together...here," Bella gestured to the house behind them. "I also know that something bad happened to break us up."

The fact that Bella used the word "something," instead of saying what that something was, indicated that she had no clue what was the cause of the break-up.

"Did Alice tell you this?" Edward asked, the beginnings of anger seeping into his otherwise calm composure.

Bella shook her head. "No, not exactly. I asked, but I already knew so there was no need for her to answer." Bella realised what Edward's question signified, and she was quick to provide him with reassurance. "She didn't betray your trust, if that's what you're getting at."

Instead of looking pleased, Edward actually looked angry. Why, she couldn't figure out. Wasn't Edward happy that finally the most important, puzzle pieces had snapped into place? Wasn't he happy they could finally get past the hurdles and move on? She suspected that Edward had never moved on after the break-up, and deep down she knew she hadn't either.

Edward's silence was beginning to scare her, so to ease the tension, she continued.

"I don't know what broke us up, but I'm sure we can move past it," she reasoned. "We can see this as a second chance, our chance to start over with a clean slate."

Bella knew she was babbling, but she couldn't seem to stop herself. Edward was so still, so quiet. With each word she uttered, he got paler. She began to get the feeling that she was making a horrible mistake. Had she misunderstood Edward the night before when he said they needed to talk?

Edward sighed. The sound was slight, but it seemed to hold the weight of the world in it. "Bella, it's not that easy."

Bella stared at him in total and utter confusion. "I-I don't understand,"

He exhaled slowly. "Yes, you're right. We used to be a couple, and we did live together," he confirmed, running his fingers through his hair in jerky, frantic motions. "But that was a long time ago. Since then I've moved on...you've moved on."

The gravity of what Edward was saying struck Bella with the force of a miniature tornado. She felt the heat and shame of embarrassment flood her cheeks.

"B-but you said you missed me," she mumbled, feeling as if a giant fist had been inserted into her chest and was now clenched around her feebly beating heart. As the seconds ticked away, the pain became more acute, to the point where she found herself unconsciously rubbing the spot where her heart was located.

"I did...I do. I miss the Bella from years ago, I miss my best friend," Edward said softly, his eyes on Bella's face. "Things were so easy between us back then, but now..." he trailed off.

A cold, alien feeling travelled from the tips of Bella's toes and made its way slowly up her body, until her fingers were numb and the rest of her body felt oddly disconnected. The true meaning of Edward's words flew at her like shards of broken glass, leaving tiny cuts in their wake.

"But now, it's not the same because I'm not the person I used to be?" she finished, chewing thoughtfully on her lip. "So, when you said we needed to talk, you wanted to clear things up?"

Edward shifted his eyes toward the lake and knew that his next words would finish him off.

"Yes," he confirmed, forcing his voice to sound normal. "When you told me that you missed me, I knew where this was headed. I also knew you would end up getting hurt, and that's the last thing I want to happen. You've been hurt too much, and I won't let a misunderstanding add to that."

Bella's eyes were huge and bright with tears. The hurt and disappointment was plain to see, and it almost killed him to know that he was the one responsible for putting it there. Suddenly, Bella straightened her spine slightly, and her face hardened. It was what Edward hoped would happen.

He wanted her to get mad at him, because if she was angry at him or hated him, it would make it much easier for her to get pass this. It would also remind him that above all else, her safety was more important than _his_ feelings, _his_ wants, _his_ needs. He needed her to be safe, and if he had to rip his heart out piece by agonizing piece, he would do it because he loved her. With that thought in mind, he hammered the last nails into the coffin, sealing his heart inside.

"I'm sorry I led you on. But it's not going to work between us because-" he stopped, forcing the next words past the lump in his throat "-- I'm not in love with you anymore." Edward forged onward. "Those two people and their relationship are in the past - an ended chapter." He paused. "I'm sorry." He realized that his last words were the only truth he spoke.

Bella stared at him blankly. She could not believe she had been so stupid. She actually fooled herself into believing that Edward loved her. What was wrong with her? Was she so blind and desperate that she mistook friendship for something else? Seems her brain was more damaged than she realised.

Bella felt a hot tear slide down her cheek, and she quickly brushed it away. She hoped that because of the diminishing light, Edward would miss it. He didn't. He reached out and brushed his finger across her cheek, wiping away another track of moisture.

His tender gesture angered her. She slapped his hand and moved away from him. Her numb leg twitched and she stumbled. She would have fallen had she not reached out and grabbed the rail. Edward immediately came to her side, but she had had enough of him for one day.

"I'm fine," she snapped, when he reached out to steady her.

He froze at her caustic tone and dropped his out-stretched hand. What did he expect? For her to be all warm and fuzzy towards him? He had just handed her her heart back, bloodied, bruised and beaten. He was lucky she hadn't clobbered him.

They stood in silence, staring at each other for what seemed to be an eternity, but what in fact was just seconds. Suddenly, a mask seemed to descend over Bella's face. She looked resolved, but about what Edward did not have a clue.

"I'm the one who should be apologizing," she said coolly, her voice matter-of-fact. "I misunderstood. I get that now."

"Misunderstood?" he croaked. "How exactly did you do that?"

Bella looked thoughtful. "Carlisle did warn me that in addition to memories, feelings would also come back. Feelings that might seem new to me, but were in fact long since gone," she said flippantly. "I guess my feelings for you are one of those 'residual' emotions. But you're right, it isn't real. It was a long time ago."

Edward felt cold inside. His intention had been to distance himself from Bella - let her down easy. Instead, she had turned the tables on him. He felt as if his heart had been clawed out of his chest and smashed into a million pieces. Bella didn't love him? Her feelings for him were 'residual'? Is that what she was saying?

It served him right. The saying "be careful what you wish for" came to his mind and aptly applied to his situation. His plan worked, so why wasn't he happy? She wouldn't have to hurt like he was hurting now. She would be safe. It had all been so easy - a little too easy.

"It's getting cold," Bella announced, rubbing her arms against the coldness that had nothing to do with the outside temperature. "I'm going in. Thank you for the...talk." As she said this, she kept her eyes down, as if she couldn't bear to look him in the eye.

For the second time today, he was being dismissed, but this time, it hurt. Edward reached out to stay her departure, but Bella flinched away as if something hot was being shoved at her. He wanted to say something, anything to make this right, but nothing seemed appropriate.

"I'm sorry," he said, lamely. "Let me help you back inside."

Bella shook her head. "No, I'm fine. Thanks for the offer, but it's not necessary." And with that, she turned her back on him and carefully made her way up to the house.

As she walked away, Bella could feel Edward's eyes on her. It took all her strength not to give into the urge to turn around and slap him—or beg him to love her. The pain was sucking everything from her, including what little strength she had left. She needed to get away, and she needed to do so now.

When she reached the safety of the kitchen, she looked out the window and saw that Edward was exactly where she had left him. As quickly as she could, she made her way up the stairs and into her room. There, she allowed herself to fall apart.

Bella threw down her cane as she slid to the floor. Once she reached the hard surface, the dam broke and tears flowed uninhibited down her cheeks. A low, keening sound issued from her throat, and she stuffed her fist between her teeth to silence the awful sound.

Her body shook from the force of her tears. The hole in her chest grew large enough to drive a truck through. She would never be able to repair the jagged edges left by Edward's declaration. He did not love her.

She had stayed up for most of the night imagining how their reunion would be. She expected to tell him that she loved him, he would say that he felt the same, and they would begin their lives together from there. Their ending would be one that would rival the most romantic of fairytales. However, never in her fantasy did Edward turn to her and say, "I'm not in love with you," his tone so cold and final.

_What am I going to do now?_ she asked herself as the pain continued to seep out of her chest and radiate to the rest of her numbed body. How could she continue to live in this house with him seeing him every day, knowing he felt nothing for her? She knew she would grow to love him more and more each agonising day. And she did love him. What she said to him - trivialising her feelings, she used as a defense mechanism. Her pride had taken a severe blow, and it had been the only way she could find to cover her pain.

But it was all a lie. A big, stinking lie, because in addition to this new love that developed over the past few months, the old one had re-emerged as well. Now it was twice as intense, twice as potent, twice as damaging.

Bella was still sitting there when she heard footsteps come up the stairs and pause just outside her door. She held her breath, fearing that if she made the slightest sound, Edward would hear and try to invade her safe haven.

Finally, the footsteps moved away, and she exhaled in one large gust. Would she do this every time Edward came in close proximity? When he entered a room, would she manufacture a reason to leave? Was that how she would live her life from this moment on? She was positive that eventually, she would tire of it.

She was tired of being weak, being the victim. She was no longer the woman she was before the attack. Neither was she the same one her attacker had left fighting for her life in the hospital. She was a different Bella now. She was strong - a fighter, and if she clawed her way back from the brink of death, she would make it through this and emerge even stronger on the other side. No more would she allow the uncertainties of life to rule her and the decisions she made. She would live life and live it well.


	23. Lessons

**A/N: A special chapter dedication goes out to **_cullenbear __**(**_**your reviews are always excellent and bolster my spirit and confidence level. I always get excited when I see your name come up in my inbox. My apologies for not responding to your last email, but I have been under the gun. I'll email you and explain) and **_Meadowgirl552_** (as always, I love your reviews).**

**Thanks also go out to **_dreampills_**, **_magan bagan_**, **_malan09_**, **_Melee03_**, **_jmd817_** (a new reader to the SCAL universe), **_Sophie2003_**, **_Bella Baby24_**, **_SarahDakota_** & **_Luereetwilitejunki_**. And to everyone else who reviewed, read and added the story to their favourites – a great big THANK YOU.**

**Just a few notes and warnings about this chapter. The first part is incredibly sad. It made me cry when I read what I had written. So, please bear that in mind. The next thing is that I feel it necessary to point out that there is a specific part in this chapter reminiscent to a scene from the recently released **_New Moon_** movie. There are in no way similar as I had this planned months ago.**

**Now, I'll let you get on with the story since you probably jumped ahead of this really wordy A/N anyway…LOL.**

* * *

**Chapter 22 - Lessons**

Bella clutched the small brown envelope in her hand and entered through the automatic doors of the Paediatric Oncology ward. A feeling of trepidation came over her as she wondered how the child she had been visiting for the past week and a half was faring. The last time she had seen him, he was pale and lifeless from the effects of the recent round of chemotherapy which flowed through his system. While the treatment was designed to destroy the mutated cells in his body, it wreaked havoc on his already weakened immune system.

Peter MacKay was a lively, rambunctious seven year old until Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia attacked his young body just over a year ago. Now, instead of being outside playing with his friends and doing all the things a healthy boy his age would do, he was trapped in the sterile confines of the hospital, his small body subjected to treatment after treatment in an attempt to cure him. In reality, Peter should already be dead, but he was strong, and continued to fight with everything he had. He became an inspiration to Bella in the short time they had known each other. He made her realise that the problems she thought were so big, were in fact, insignificant in comparison to what he faced each day.

Michelle Davis, one of Peter's nurses and now, a friend to Bella, looked up from her post at the desk and smiled. Today, she was wearing a white Sponge Bob Squarepants t-shirt over her blue hospital scrubs. A matching pair of Patrick Starfish barrettes kept her curly hair out of her eyes.

"Hey, Bella," Michelle greeted, her southern drawl a pleasant melody to the ears. "I was wondering when you were going to arrive."

Bella grinned. "My therapy session ran a little late. Jasper felt the need to push the envelope today."

Michelle laughed heartily, her white teeth, a sharp contrast to the chocolate brown colour of her skin. She had been a nurse for the past twenty-five years and had a heart of gold and a no-nonsense personality.

"You give young Mr. Whitlock a message from me the next time he holds you over," she instructed, grabbing a mask and a gown from the storage cupboard. She handed them to Bella. "Tell him you've got a date, and he doesn't like to be kept waiting - especially now."

When Michelle said this, she frowned, and her eyes shifted toward the end of the ward where Peter's bed was located. Immediately, Bella knew something was wrong. The muscles in her stomach clenched in anticipation of the bad news to come.

"What's happened?" she whispered, fearing the worst. "Is he okay?"

Michelle sighed and shook her head. "His last treatment hit him really hard, poor little guy. He's not keeping much down, but there's something else..." she trailed off contemplating if she should continue.

"What something else?" Bella prompted, her feeling of dread growing.

"He's depressed. I've never seen him like this. I've tried to get him to open up, but he just refuses to say what's wrong," Michelle explained. Her voice then dropped to a whisper. "It's almost as if he's given up."

"No!" Bella gasped, placing her hand over her mouth.

Peter was doing so well up to now. The last time she had seen him a few days ago, his eyes were bright and he seemed so cheerful despite his discomfort. What could possibly have happened to bring about such a drastic change?

"I was hoping that maybe you could get him to talk. He feels close to you," Michelle said as she continued to stare in the direction of the topic of conversation.

Bella nodded. "Don't worry; I'll get him to crack. I've got a secret weapon." She shook the envelope and hoped it would be enough to persuade Peter to talk to her.

Michelle smiled sadly. "Good luck,"

Bella approached Peter's bed slowly. Even if Michelle had not given her advanced warning about Peter's condition, Bella would have known that something was wrong. Usually when he knew she was coming, he would be sitting up in bed, his eyes focused on the door. Instead, she found him lying on his left side, his face pointed away from the door. His bed was the last one on the left hand side of the ward and faced a window that looked out toward the man-made lake behind the hospital. Peter always gloated that his was one of the best views in the hospital. During a few of her visits, they tried to think up stories about the people who strolled around the lake or sat on the benches around it. Peter came up with the most elaborate of stories, a testament to his wonderful and vibrant imagination.

Peter's small, cancer ridden body was covered by the _Harry Potter_ comforter his mother brought from home. The only parts of him visible were the pale skin of his cheek and the smooth skin of his head. He once showed her a picture of himself before he had lost his hair. His was unruly and sandy coloured and stood out in different directions. He mused that it reminded him of Harry Potter's hair - nothing his mother did could make it behave.

Losing their hair would usually impact children negatively, but it did not bother Peter. He said bald guys were considered smarter, and it made him seem more distinguished. This made Bella laugh, but she wasn't laughing now. Her little ray of sunshine had retracted into himself.

Bella came around the bed, placed the envelope on the bedside table and sat in the chair. Peter's eyes never shifted from the window, and she almost gasped at his appearance. He was paler than normal, so pale in fact, that his skin appeared almost translucent. Huge purple shadows pooled under his eyes, and his lips were cracked and bloodless. For the first time since she had known him, she knew he was dying.

"Hey Buddy," she said, forcing her voice to sound cheerful. "Are you going to sleep through our visit today?"

Peter's lips quivered, then he slowly focused his eyes on her. His eyes were dull, lifeless pools of blue sapphires. Other than Edward's, his were the most beautiful eyes she had ever seen.

Peter stared at her, but remained silent. "I've got something for you." There was no change in his expression, and she wondered if he heard her. She opened the envelope and took out a small stack of four by six photos. "But since you're not interested, I'll put them away."

Bella started to return the photos to the envelope, but Peter's small hand reached out and stopped her.

"You brought them," he whispered, his mouth turning up slightly at the corners. As he reached out more from beneath the comforter, his arm became exposed. It was covered by ugly purple and blue bruises. Bella felt her eyes begin to tear, but she fought them by blinking rapidly. She did not want to upset Peter further by allowing him to see her tears.

"Of course," she said, her voice breaking slightly. "I promised, and I always keep my promises."

Peter rolled over onto his back and then sat up slowly. Bella knew his movements caused him pain, so she helped him to lean against the pillows. When he finally settled, he sighed and held out his hand for the photos. He remained silent, but there was a look of rapture on his face as he thumbed through the pictures he had taken.

The first time Bella met Peter, she had just finished a session with Jasper and decided to take a self-guided tour around the hospital since Alice was running late. She found herself outside the Oncology ward, and caught sight of Peter, just as she was deciding where to go next. He stood just inside the automatic doors, watching her, a look of curiosity and excitement mixed on his face. He smiled and gestured for her to come inside. Without a second thought, she honoured his request, and their friendship blossomed from there.

Bella visited Peter every time she was in the city. Nowadays, that was quite a lot as she was helping Alice set up the café, and the change in her relationship with Edward made her want to stay out of the house and away from him whenever possible.

To say that the atmosphere between her and Edward had become tense was an understatement of the situation. She tried to avoid him as much as she could, but the fact that they occupied the same house made it almost impossible. The few times they actually found themselves in the same room he was polite and friendly. But it usually became too much for Bella to bear, and she would politely excuse herself, mumbling about some forgotten errand, and flee the room.

The day after they had had what she liked to refer to as "The Talk," Bella stayed in her room and considered her options. Basically, there were really only two - stay there, suck it up and try to pretend that she was fine with how things were or move out.

The latter seemed like the best bet, but where would she go? To the Cullens? Back to Canada? Canada was definitely out as her home was being rented for the next year. That left her first choice - The Cullens. However, that might actually make her feel worse because she suspected that they would go out of their way to make her feel better, and that would have the opposite effect. Besides, Bella did not want to involve the Cullens in this anymore than need be. It wouldn't be fair to make them choose sides.

So, she stayed and prayed for strength every day, especially when she replayed the conversation between herself and Edward. It hurt just as much or even worse that it had that night.

She still prepared meals for him and Alice, but she made sure that she ate before he came home. This became easier with time, as Edward began to come home later and later. A part of her wondered if he had found interests elsewhere, maybe another Jordan. The thought made Bella's stomach churn, but she had to be realistic. He did not love her, and was therefore free to do as he wished.

So, meeting Peter was a welcome relief to her overtaxed psyche. It allowed her to focus on someone else other than herself and her current situation.

During their first conversation, they sat in the little waiting area, and Peter spoke a mile-a-minute, asking her various questions in his high, excited voice. By the time he finished his little inquisition, an hour had passed and the time for him to take his medication had come. He begged her not to leave, and she agreed. Bella suspected that other than his parents and sister, he did not have many visitors, and was excited at the prospect of having someone new to talk to. Her theory was later corroborated by Michelle.

Michelle overheard the million and one questions Peter had asked, and admonished him for being so inquisitive. But, Bella didn't mind. It was good to have someone to talk to. Peter's enthusiasm for life was contagious, and when she was around him her depression lifted.

It was during one of these visits that she showed him her camera. He was enthralled by the piece of equipment, and without a second thought she offered to teach him how to use it. He was a quick study, and soon was taking a number of pictures, most of which were very good. These were the pictures he now held in his hands.

"Wow, they're great," he said in wonder. He gave Bella a shy look and a small smile. "Do you think I could become a photographer if I grow up?"

Bella felt a lump rise in her throat when he used the word _if_ instead of _when_. Peter seemed to have accepted the possibility that he might never become an adult. It was one of the beauties about children; they were so quick to accept change whether good or bad.

"Sure you can. You'll probably be better than I am," she laughed.

Peter's smile quickly disappeared, as if he remembered something painful. It was replaced by a sad, forlorn look. He placed the photos on the bed and turned his face towards the window, once again tuning out his surroundings.

They sat like that for a while, until Bella's curiosity got the best of her. It was hard to see Peter like this. It was especially hard because she knew this was so far removed from his personality. She had seen him in pain before but never did he lose his tenacity...until now.

"Peter," she called him softly. His eyes focused on her. "Michelle tells me you're not doing so well and you won't talk to her. Do you want to tell me what's wrong?"

Peter shifted his gaze to the sheet, and chewed on the corner of his lip as he traced the outline of Harry's glasses with his index finger. He seemed to be thinking hard. Suddenly, he raised his eyes and she gasped. They were filled with tears. She scooted closer, reached out and clasped one of his hands between hers. She noticed his was a few degrees cooler than hers. She remembered Michelle telling her that children with Leukaemia sometimes had difficulty regulating their body temperatures.

"If I tell you, you won't like me anymore," he cried softly.

Bella squeezed his hand gently. "That's not possible, Peter," she promised. "There's nothing you could do to make that happen. Won't you tell me what's wrong?"

Peter took a deep breath. The sound seemed to rattle inside his chest. "Promise?" Bella nodded and tried to reassure him with a smile. "I-I think my parents are getting a divorce, and it's all my fault."

Bella froze. This was the last thing she expected to hear. When she met Peter's parents, they seemed like good, solid people who shared a strong relationship. Mrs. MacKay, a tall, willowy blonde with a quick smile, was a school teacher. Mr. MacKay was a tall, well-built man with red hair and a great sense of humor. He worked as a Cameraman for one of the local television stations. However, in the past week, she had not seen him. The last time she saw Peter's mother, she seemed preoccupied and a bit sad. Were these all signs of an impending family split?

"Did your parents tell you this?" Bella asked. She was positive that this would not be the case, because for them to do so would adversely affect his health. She knew his parents loved him too much to do that. As it was, it broke their hearts to see him in this condition.

Peter shook his head and then looked embarrassed. "No, I overheard Mom talking to Dr. Martin. She said my dad might not be visiting as much now because they were going through some stuff. My being sick was hard on him, and they were arguing a lot. See? It's my fault. If I wasn't sick, they wouldn't argue."

By the time Peter finished his speech, tears flowed freely down his pale cheeks. Bella grabbed a tissue from the box on the bedside table and gently wiped the moisture away. She handed him another one and he blew his nose. He was so distraught that she didn't have the heart to scold him about eavesdropping.

"Peter, if your parents are getting a divorce..." Peter's eyes widened at what he thought to be her confirmation of his theory. She quickly held up her hands. "And I'm not saying they are; it's not your fault. They are both adults and nothing you do can influence their decision. What I will say is that your parents love you very much and would be sad that you're worrying."

"T-they would?"

"Uh huh, so cheer up," she smiled. "Your mom should be here soon. You don't want her to see those tears, do you?"

Peter shook his head vehemently. "No." He sniffed and then pointed to the pictures. "Can I look at them again?"

"Sure, but remember you promised to autograph one for me, and I'm holding you to that promise." Bella dug into her bag and extracted a felt tip marker.

Peter giggled, his eyes lit up and he held out his hand for the marker. This was the boy she was accustomed to. This was her little hero who was dying but made sure everyone around him did not dwell on that sad fact. This was the boy who had tugged on her heartstrings and reeled her in, and this was the little boy that soon she might have to say good-bye to.

**~*~*~***

Bella returned the mask and gown to Michelle, and gave her an update on Peter's situation. She promised to visit again the next day. Something told her that time was of the essence where Peter was concerned. Seeing him so sick and vulnerable drove home the fact that his days on this Earth might be shorter than any of them realised.

She drew in a deep breath and took one last look at her little fighter who was talking animatedly with his mother. She was gently dabbing moisturiser on his parched lips. He caught sight of Bella and waved. She waved back and was about to exit the ward when a voice stopped her.

"I've never seen anything like that. You're very good with children," a familiar voice said. "Maybe I should introduce you to my niece and nephew."

Bella turned toward the voice and caught sight of Liam sitting in one of the chairs in the waiting room. His arms rested on the back of the other chairs, and he had one leg crossed at the knee. He was smiling at her in wonder and unwillingly, she felt her face grow warm. He unfolded his frame from the chair, grabbed his brown leather jacket, a manila envelope, and walked over to her. He looked different from when she last saw him in the wet suit on the beach.

Today he wore jeans, a close-fitting white sweater and brown and tan no-lace sneakers. He looked as if he had just stepped off the pages of a fashion magazine. His hair was tousled, and a lock of it fell into his eyes. A tiny diamond stud twinkled in his left ear, drawing Bella's gaze upon it. She never really had an opinion on men who wore earrings, but it suited Liam.

"Liam, w-what are you doing here?" she stammered in surprise. This was the last place she would have expected to see him. "Are you visiting someone here?"

Liam grinned. "Well, I guess I am."

Bella raised an eyebrow. His words implied that he was unsure, but his body language said different.

"Really, who?"

"You."

Bella choked on a laugh. "Me? I'm not ill."

Liam threw back his head and laughed. "Sorry, I can be a bit of an ass at times. I was just teasing. I was passing by and saw you, so I decided to wait until you'd finished." A somber look took over his handsome face. He gestured to Peter with a nod of his head. "Is the lad family?"

"What?" Bella asked in surprise. "Uh...no. Just a really good friend."

"Hmmm. Never would have known," Liam replied, thoughtfully. "You have a gift."

Bella blushed. She realised that she disliked being the centre of attention and wondered if that was a carry-over from her former life. Compliments were one of those things that placed her squarely in the spotlight. She wracked her brain to find something to say - something that would divert the attention back to Liam.

"So, what are you doing here?" she asked, heading for the door.

The glass doors slid open silently, and she stepped out into the corridor. Liam followed right behind her and despite the fact that he was a couple inches taller than she was, he shortened his stride to match hers as she made her way down the almost empty hallway.

"Just collecting some test results," he supplied, his grin firmly back in place. Bella gave him a curious look. "Job requirement. Whenever a journalist returns from an overseas assignment, he or she has to have the entire battery of tests."

"Oh, well, I hope all is well," Bella mumbled, as they approached one of the two elevators located at the end of the hall.

Bella pressed the button and almost immediately, the door opened. Liam gestured for her to enter ahead of him and then stepped in a split second before the door slid closed. He punched the button for the ground floor and leaned back against the wall of the car, keeping his eyes on her throughout the ride.

He gave her a lopsided grin and brushed the lock of hair from his eyes. It immediately fell back into place. "Slightly elevated blood pressure, but that's understandable,"

Liam gave her a teasing smile. Suddenly, it occurred to her that he was flirting with her. _Holy cow!_ She thought in disbelief. A good looking man was actually flirting with her. Bella felt like she was entirely out of her element. She fought for something to say, but her mind went completely blank. Thinking it was better to remain silent than make an ass of herself, she stood there and concentrated on the red digital numbers as they counted down the floors they were whizzing past.

"Where are you off to?" he asked, ignoring the silence.

"I'm off to help Alice with her new project," Bella explained, feeling relieved that they had two more floors left before they reached the ground floor. Bella was never comfortable travelling in one of these metal boxes. They beat the heck out of stairs, but still, stairs were not attached to each other with cables - cables that had the potential to snap and break.

The elevator dinged as they reached the ground floor and the door slid open. Once again, Liam allowed her to exit first and then came up beside her. They walked through the crowded hospital waiting area, dodging a few children playing a game of tag to keep themselves occupied. The quiet murmur of the room was occasionally broken by a page from the intercom and the sound of the Receptionist's voice calling a patient to the desk. The usual frenzy of the hospital waiting room was at a minimum today.

"And what project is that exactly?" Liam asked, when they walked outside. He slipped his arms into the sleeves of his jacket, but left the flaps open. He patted his right pants pocket, and Bella heard the metallic clink of what could have been keys or loose change.

Bella looked up at the sky and grimaced. The blue sky was now completely covered by a layer of grey, and she could smell the moisture in the air. While the rain did not fall as much here as it did in Bainbridge or Forks, it still did occasionally. This was one of those days. The walk to Alice's place usually took her about twenty minutes given her physical limitations. She hoped the rain would hold off until then. Bum leg, wet sidewalk, and slightly clumsy disposition was a disaster waiting to happen.

"Internet café," she supplied, zipping up her grey, long-sleeved hoodie as the cool fall wind cut a path through the thin material of her t-shirt. She felt her nipples pucker in protest at the drop in temperature and silent berated herself for forgetting her jacket in Alice's car. Pneumonia was not something she wanted to add to her list of problems. If she could make it quickly to the café, she would minimize her chances of becoming ill.

She was so caught up in her self-flagellation that she jumped when she felt something brush lightly across her shoulders. She turned to see that Liam had taken off his jacket and draped it over her shoulders. He was holding his hand out as if he was expecting her to give him something. She stared at him. His lips twitched, before the left corner of his mouth curled up into a smirk. Obviously he found something amusing, but for the life of her, Bella could not figure out what that something was.

"Your bag," he prompted, barely disguised laughter in his voice.

Bella felt her face flare up and quickly shoving the khaki coloured canvas, messenger bag into his hands, slipped her arms into the already preheated jacket. It swallowed her a bit, but it was extremely comfortable and more important, warm. The pleasant smell of the leather combined with the notes of Liam's cologne gave her a slightly warm feeling.

"What about you?" she asked, staring at his attire.

"I'm fine. You Americans are such fragile little things." He laughed when Bella frowned at him. "No offense, but this temperature is like a summer's day in Ireland."

"Hmph," she huffed, as they walked down the ramp toward the direction of the sidewalk. Liam draped her bag over his shoulder and shoved his hands into the pocket of his jeans.

"So, how far away is Alice's café?" Liam asked, looking up and down the driveway before crossing to the sidewalk on the opposite side. They were now directly on the pedestrian walkway, and a few people stepped around them and continued on their way.

"Not far, a couple blocks," she shrugged, and began to take off the jacket to return it to him. She would miss the warmth, as well as the smell.

"Can I offer you a ride?" he asked quickly, looking up at the sky. "I wouldn't want you to get soaked."

The offer of a ride was tempting, but even though he was one of Alice's friends, Bella still felt a bit apprehensive about accepting a ride from a stranger. It was then that Bella realised they had left the hospital's car park behind. She didn't think Liam had walked to the hospital, so how did he get there? The gust of wind blew around them, and quickly drawing the edges of Liam's jacket closer to her body, she made her decision.

"Where are you parked?" she asked, wondering which of the cars parked across the road was his.

"Over there," he said, and pointed a few feet away.

Bella blinked, and then blinked again as her eyes zeroed in on a large black and red Ducati motorcycle. She looked from the monster bike to Liam and back to the bike again. She gulped. Not only was the bike sleek and obviously fast, but it also screamed danger and sex-on-wheels. It was a beautiful piece of machinery, but it scared the crap out of her.

Bella groaned. Why was she not surprised that Liam rode a bike instead of driving a car? He did seem like the extreme, outdoorsy type who liked all things dangerous. And she had just agreed to his offer. She felt fear rise up inside her and knock firmly on the door of her common sense. This was not a good idea. A picture of broken limbs and discarded, twisted, flaming motorcycle parts flashed through her mind.

"Are you serious?" she squeaked. Liam grinned at her, and his smile seemed to hold some sort of silent challenge.

"Are you scared?" he asked. "You don't strike me as the type that would let something like two wheels stand between you and what you wanted."

Bella placed a hand on her hip and glared at him. Liam was looking down at her with a smug, satisfied look on his face, almost as if he had already won the argument. He sure had some nerve. It pissed her off but intrigued her as well. He was different from anyone she had met recently, and that was not necessarily a bad thing.

"And what exactly is it that I want?" she asked, her voice even. She would not let him know that he was getting to her.

Liam shrugged nonchalantly. "A ride, before the rain falls."

Bella continued to stare into Liam's blue eyes as she tried to make the decision whether or not she was going to rise to his challenge. Hadn't she promised herself that she would no longer be a victim of life and circumstance? She had to take life by its coat-tails and live a little - grow a pair, so to speak. What could one little motorcycle ride do? _It can cause you to get killed, you idiot_, the voice of Reason echoed in her head. She inhaled and quickly clubbed Reason until its voice was no more than a squeak inside the inner most recesses of her mind. _Now take that and shut the hell up,_ she growled silently.

"Right. Then what are you waiting for?" Bella threw at him and started across the street. The look of surprise on his face was absolutely priceless, and she felt perversely satisfied that she had put it there.

Liam handed her a black and red helmet and watched in shock as she twisted her hair into a low ponytail before she slipped it onto her head. It was hard to believe, but the helmet made her look incredibly sexy, and he felt his heart rate jump a notch or two. She flipped up the visor and gave him a wry, impatient look.

"Changed your mind?" she asked, her voice was muffled, but the challenge came through loud and clear.

"Not a chance," he laughed, and slipped her bag over his head and across his chest. He whipped out a pair of black gloves from his back pocket and slipped them on.

This was a woman he could definitely develop some serious feelings for. He expected her to balk at the prospect of the motorcycle ride, but she had surprised him. At first she was hesitant, but now she was practically bouncing up and down and rearing to go. He slipped on his helmet, sat astride the motorcycle and then helped her up. Bella tottered slightly as she placed her jean-clad leg over the motorcycle and settled in behind him. He grabbed her cane and slipped it into a slot next to the seat, along with the envelope holding his test results. He twisted the key, and the engine roared to life.

Liam felt Bella jerk slightly at the sudden noise from the engine, but instead of choosing to back out, she wrapped her arms around his waist and hung on tightly.

"Ready?" he shouted above the din. He felt her nod against his back. "Which way?"

"Left and then hang a right at Trinity Plaza," she replied, raising her voice above the noise of the engine. Bella felt her heart thud quickly inside her chest and her stomach clench in fear, but she ignored it.

"Hang on," he cautioned and pulled out into the traffic.

By the time they reached Alice's café, Liam had developed a new appreciation as well as respect for the woman sitting on the back of his motorcycle. There were times when he felt her quiver, but other than that, she showed no other indication of fear. That alone made her even more attractive to him. That as well as the fact that her arms around his waist were giving him the biggest hard-on in the history of all hard-ons.

Liam cut the engine, took off his helmet and swung himself off the bike. He took Bella's hand and helped her down. She whipped off the helmet, shook out her hair and grinned at him. Her brown eyes were shining with what he assumed was the adrenaline rush from the entire experience. A part of him hoped that the closeness they just shared was also a contributing factor.

"That was great!" she exclaimed, her voice excited. "When can we do it again?"

Liam threw back his head and laughed. Her reaction was amazing and unexpected. He expected her to be shaky and kissing the ground that it was over, not ready to jump back on and go again. Isabella Swan was one hell of a woman - brave, bold and damn hot.

"Well, we can do it again soon," he said, deciding to voice the thought that had come to his head during their trip. "What about later, maybe we can go for a ride and then dinner, that is if you aren't busy."

Bella's smile slid from her face and she looked thoughtful. _Uh oh_, he thought. It was obvious he had hit a nerve. Was she married, engaged, had a boyfriend? Or maybe, she was a lesbian. He shuddered at the last thought. That would be an incredible waste.

"Or if your boyfriend will allow it," he interjected. He mentally crossed his fingers that she would say she was single, be that without a boy or girlfriend.

"She doesn't have a boyfriend," piped a voice behind them.

Bella whirled around and saw Alice standing in the doorway watching them with a big smile on her face. Thank God she had ears, otherwise her head would have split in two from the width of her smile. The small pest was leaning against the door jamb, her eyes drifting from the bike to the bike's owner and then to Bella.

Bella could almost hear the gears in Alice's head shifting as she jumped from one conclusion to the next. It was similar to an avalanche speeding unhindered downhill, and she was the ski lodge at the bottom - directly in its path. Alice was going to be on her like a tick on a horse's ass as soon as Liam left. _Oh great!_ she groused. _Just what I need_.

"Hey, Alice," Liam greeted and handed Bella her bag and cane. "How are you?"

Alice grinned wickedly. "Not as good as you, but I'll survive."

Bella rolled her eyes at Alice's not so subtle innuendo. She wished that just for once Alice would behave and not embarrass the crap out of her. However, Alice was Alice, and there was no stopping her once she got going.

"She'd love to go to dinner with you tonight, wouldn't you _Bella_," Alice said, nudging her in the ribs with her elbow.

"Ow," Bella hissed, and threw Alice a poisonous look. As expected, Alice ignored her.

Liam looked at Bella and then at Alice. One could see he was trying very hard not to smile at the repartee going on between the two women. His lips twitched, and he cleared his throat attempting to keep the laughter in.

Bella glowered at him. She was glad that _someone_ was finding this entire situation amusing. She clutched the helmet in her free hand, the hard plastic biting into her palm, and ignored the overwhelming urge to smack Liam upside his head with his own helmet.

Liam moved away from the bike and stood between Alice and Bella. Alice glared at his back as he effectively blocked her from inflicting further injury on Bella. Bella was thankful, but still mildly upset with him.

"So what do you say, Bella?" he asked, reaching down and taking the helmet from her curled fingers. She got the feeling that he knew what thoughts had been running through her mind only moments ago. "Are you game?"

There he went with that way of issuing a challenge, without actually issuing one. It was almost a dare of sorts. Well, he knew where that had gotten him last time.

"Okay, how does seven sound?" Bella asked, trying to arrange things in her head.

She would have to get home, shower, find something appropriate to wear for riding on the back of a motorcycle as well as having dinner, and get back to the city. And she had all but three and a half hours to do that. That thought alone left her tired.

"Where shall we meet?" Liam asked, his teasing grin firmly in place.

At that point, the sky broke and the rain began to fall in a fine mist. It left minute water bubbles on the sleek surface of the bike, and Bella stepped under the blue and white awning which shielded Alice's door from the elements. Liam looked up at the sky and ran his gloved fingers through his rapidly dampening hair. There was just something about this man and water which mystified Bella. She had met him all of two times and he had managed to get wet both of those times.

"Oh, here's fine," Alice volunteered, pulling Bella out of her musings. "She'll be ready and waiting at seven sharp."

Bella threw Alice an exasperated look. Alice was being a little too helpful, and it was downright embarrassing. It reminded her of that television ad about adoption, where the mother embarrassed the hell out of her daughter in front of the girl's secret crush. Next thing, Alice would be trying to pawn her off on the highest bidder. Nothing screamed desperation like a friend trying to force you down a guy's throat.

"Thank you, Mother Alice," Bella grumbled under her breath, and reddened when Liam chuckled.

"You're welcome," Alice said, her high voice sounding as if she had just committed the good deed of the century.

"So, I'll see you later," Liam said, his voice low. He winked at Bella and then turned his attention to Alice. "Don't forget you still owe me a dinner date."

"Of course not. We'll set something up for later this week," Alice promised, threading her arm through Bella's and tugging for her to come inside. "Bye, Liam."

Liam slipped his helmet on, took one last look at Bella and sped away. Bella watched him until he disappeared down the street, and around a corner. She wondered if she had made a mistake by accepting what was obviously a date. She did not want to lead him on, and she was almost sure he liked her. But maybe she was wrong - just as she had been wrong about Edward. She had thought that he loved her, but that, too, proved to be wrong.

Bella's promise to live in the moment came back to her, and she decided to stop stressing about it and do just that. After all, it was just a ride and dinner, right? Where was the harm in that? It wasn't as if she was going to go have sex with the man. She would go out with Liam, have a good time and if anything else came up, she would deal with it then.

"Hmmm, biker chick," Alice muttered, pulling Bella inside. "Who would've thought?"

**~*~*~***

Alice just finished placing the last scoop of vanilla ice-cream into a bowl when Edward walked into the kitchen. He was wearing a t-shirt and shorts, and his hair was unusually messy. When she arrived home earlier, she found him passed out asleep on the couch in the living room. His laptop and a half-full can of Coke sat on the floor. He had been spending an extraordinary amount of time away from home and she suspected it was due to more than just his job.

She quickly returned the container to the freezer, grabbed a package of Pepperidge Farms Milano cookies from the cupboard, and sat at the table to devour her late night snack. Edward shook his head as he moved past her.

"Your cholesterol level must be through the roof," he commented as he grabbed an apple from the bowl on the counter and took a bite.

"Huh," she commented, unconcerned.

As Alice smeared the ice-cream between two cookies and took a bite, she watched Edward from out of the corner of her eye. She was hoping to vacate the kitchen before he made an appearance, but she was not quite so lucky. She thought of fleeing to her room, but that would be way too obvious. He would come looking for her when he realised someone was missing.

Realising that Alice was not being the fountain of conversation she usually was, Edward studied her for a few seconds as if sensing something, shrugged and left the room.

Alice breathed a sigh of relief. Maybe, just maybe, he wouldn't realise that Bella was not at home and would just go back to sleep. When Liam picked Bella up earlier from the café, he promised to keep her safe and bring her home at a decent hour. That was good enough for her, but she knew Edward would have a slightly more violent reaction to the entire thing. She had seen it happening in her mind, but now, she guessed it was just her over active imagination kicking into high gear. Jasper always told her that she needed to stop thinking so much as she was killing useful brain cells. She smiled when she thought of Jasper. She missed him and would rather be with him now, but he was busy rehearsing for a gig he had on Saturday night.

As she polished off her ice cream sandwich and prepared to make another, Edward reappeared in the kitchen. He marched directly over to the table, pulled out a chair and sat down. He did not look pleased, and Alice knew the gig was up. _How the heck did he realise so quickly?_ she wondered.

"Where is she, Alice?" he asked, his voice dangerously low. He was using what Alice considered his FBI Agent's voice. The one he used to suck information out of criminals and bring them to their knees.

"She's not here," Alice replied. She made another sandwich and held it out to him. He ignored her, a frown on his face. "Fine, be like that. You don't know what you're missing." She took a bite, leaned back in her chair and waited.

"I can see she's not here. Where is she and why aren't you wherever she is?" Edward snapped.

Alice huffed. "She's in Seattle, and I'm not her baby-sitter, Edward,"

"What's she doing in Seattle?"

Alice looked at her watch and shrugged. "Probably having dinner by now."

Edward's face turned red and then a brilliant shade of purple. Alice quickly swallowed the cookie sandwich and gripped the corners of the table, suddenly feeling afraid. Edward looked as if he was having a heart attack. She didn't know much about CPR, but push come to shove, she would have to pound on his chest until Carlisle could get there to administer the real thing. Thank God he wasn't bleeding, because then Carlisle would have to administer CPR to both of them. She hated the sight of blood.

She relaxed a bit when the purple tinge receded from his face and left behind an angry splash of red. Edward drew in a deep breath trying to calm himself before he spoke. She could see a vein in his temple pulsating, and the irrational question about how long it took a person to die from an aneurysm popped into her head.

"Who's she having dinner with, Alice?" he asked quietly. The knuckles of his hands were white as he balled them into fists.

Now that was the question she hoped he would not ask. Bella eventually told her what had happened the night they returned home. Alice herself could not understand why it all happened the way it did. Why did he tell Bella that he was not in love with her when he obviously was? It made no sense, but her first priority was to her friend, and if Edward wanted to be a big jerk, then so be it. She knew Bella was still depressed from the entire incident, but if Liam helped provide the balm that would heal her friend's broken and shattered heart, then she was all for it. Screw the consequences.

Alice saw how excited Bella was when she had gotten off the bike. It was a long time past since she had last seen her that way. That was why she pushed Bella to go out with Liam. He brought the light back into her eyes, if only for a little while. This walking around on egg shells that Edward and Bella had done for the past two weeks was not healthy and was getting on her last nerve. Someone needed to do something, and if that someone was her, then great.

"She's having dinner with a friend," Alice said, finishing off the last of the ice-cream. Edward was giving her the look as if he expected her to continue with her explanation.

She sighed. She decided it was time to get this all over with, as Edward was not going to let her go without giving him what he needed. He was now in full Inquisitor mode. All that was missing was the torture chamber and the bamboo shoots he intended to shove under her fingernails to force her to talk.

"She's having dinner with Liam, okay?" she threw at him.

Edward's jaw dropped. "Who the hell is, Liam?" he bellowed.

"He's a friend of mine, and a really nice guy," Alice shot back defensively.

Edward shoved the chair back and began to pace. Alice watched him move back and forth, agitation in his every step. He shoved his fingers through his hair and yanked on the ends. She wanted to warn him about baldness in men over the age of thirty, but now was probably not a good time. Edward looked angry enough to shove his fist through a wall, and it made her feel good. This was not the reaction of a man who did not love a woman; this was the reaction of a man who felt his territory was being invaded.

"So you just left her? In Seattle? With this _nice_ guy?" he exploded, turning on her. "Are you insane?"

Alice crossed her arms across her chest and fixed Edward with a hard look. The entire situation was quickly losing its humorous appeal. "No, but apparently you are. What exactly is the problem here?"

"The problem is, Alice," he spat through gritted teeth, "she knows nothing about this guy. Why would she even go out with him?"

Alice stood and leaned across the table, fire spitting from her eyes. "Maybe you should ask her that, Edward. I can't guess for the life of me why she would want to go out with an attractive, smart guy like Liam, who obviously goes after what _he_ wants."

Edward glared at Alice. There was something about her words that told him she was trying to make a point - a point which was escaping him because his head was just so fucking hot. He felt like grabbing Alice and shaking her until her teeth rattled. What was she thinking leaving his Bella in Seattle, alone with some man - a man who might try to take advantage of her?

"What's that suppose to mean?"

"It means, that at least someone knows what he wants and has put the steps in place to get it," she snapped. "Unlike_some_ people I know, who just run away and then get on like a 'prick-ward' when someone pays an interest in the toy he discarded. Sounds familiar, Edward?"

The play on his name did not escape him and neither did Alice's accusation. He wanted to deny it, but he couldn't. Alice was right. This was not just about Bella being on a date, it was about some man replacing him in Bella's life. Some man kissing her, touching her and making love to her like he wanted to be doing. He pushed her away and that gave someone the opportunity to step in. He was a selfish coward.

Alice watched as Edward's shoulders slumped in defeat and his face returned to its usual shade. She felt her anger abate and sorrow take its place. She was being hard on him, but rightfully so. It wasn't fair for him to build Bella's hopes up and then smash them like a fifty cent trinket. Bella was a wonderful person, and if Edward was too dumb to grab on and make her his, then someone else was going to come along and snatch her away.

"Edward, I'm sorry, but what did you expect would happen?" she asked softly, trying to take the sting out of her words. "If you don't want her, then please be gracious enough to let someone who does have her. After all that she's been through, she deserves a good life. If you can't provide that, then step aside. Liam is a great guy. I wouldn't have let her go out with him if I had any doubts."

Edward stood there, his brain in turmoil. He felt as if someone had shoved a blender inside his stomach and hit the_'frappe'_ button. Alice was right again, but Bella was his, she belonged to him. She had always belonged to him, from the very first time he laid eyes on her all those years ago at college when he had almost run her down with his bike. He was her first and only. She was like an extension of himself, and here Alice was asking him to amputate that part. Could he really do that? Could he just maim himself by handing her over to someone else? It would be like ripping away a part of his soul and giving it away.

Edward shook his head. He knew what Alice was asking was reasonable and the only fair thing he could do if he truly wanted Bella to be happy, but it was too much for him to handle right now. He would make a decision later when the burning feeling decreased to a dull throb, and he could think clearly. Right now, everything was a sharp, throbbing blur. He felt as if someone had strapped him to a bed of razor-blades and then submerged him head first into a vat of pure alcohol.

"Edward?" Alice's voice was soft, but the sound raked across his sensitive nerves.

"Not now, Alice," he croaked, holding the sides of his aching head. "Not now." And with that, he fled.

* * *

He watched from the secluded alcove of the restaurant as Bella and the unknown man continued to talk and eat their dinner. He followed them discretely from the time they left the café, taken a tour that included the Pike Place Market and the Space Needle, before they settled on a popular Latin restaurant on Pike Street. That was an hour and a half ago, and the closeness between them was fueling his anger.

Where the hell had this guy appeared from? He thought that he only had Edward to contend with, but now this guy had crawled out of the woodwork and was trying to make a move on what he considered to be his property. He really didn't consider Edward to be much of a problem anymore, since it was obvious that something had happened between the two. Bella began to spend an awful lot of time in Seattle and Edward...well Edward just stayed at work most of the time. That in itself was unusual, given his pattern for the past few months since Bella returned. He liked to stick close to home, but now, one could swear the hounds of hell had taken up permanent residence in his house.

The man scooped up a forkful of whatever dessert the waiter just delivered to their table and held it out to Bella, trying to convince her to take a bite. She hesitated at first, but then leaned forward and placed her lips over the sweet treat. He watched as her tongue glided over her bottom lip and then disappeared into the sweet cavern of her mouth. Two things hit him simultaneously - jealously and desire. The jealously was tearing a hole in his gut, while the desire created a tent in his pants. He moaned, imagining her kneeling in front him, her sweet mouth wrapped around the head of his dick.

A muted snap and then a sharp stab of pain cut his fantasy short. He looked down and realized that the wine glass he held in his hand had snapped in two from the strength of his grip. The broken stem gouged him in the palm. He cursed quietly as blood welled up around the wound. He quickly grabbed the napkin and applied pressure. The burn from the wound did nothing to quell his desire; if anything, it increased it.

As he held the napkin tight to stem the flow of blood, he continued to watch as the man reached across the table and dabbed at the corner of Bella's mouth with a table napkin. She reached up, took the cloth from him and finished the job. He got the feeling he was going to have to kill this guy, and he was trying to abstain from doing something really stupid, similar to what he had done a couple weeks ago. He had come across this girl who reminded him so much of Bella that he had been unable to resist convincing her to go home with him. He remembered feeling the girl's body beneath his shortly before he realised that she was a poor substitute. He silenced her screams of ecstasy forever by breaking her neck.

As he dumped the body, he did not felt even a twinge of pity or guilt. The girl, who he only knew as Bree, was someone's daughter, sister or best friend, but he didn't care. She was just another person who was there to satisfy his hunger. However, after he dispatched her life, he realised the hunger he felt could only be sated by one person - Bella.

He was starving for her. Every move she made, every sweet, musical note of her voice, every whiff of her scent was like a slow-moving fire coursing through his veins. A fire that was quickly burning away all reason and every defense he had put into place since he had watched his mother die.

His phone vibrated in his pocket and yanking it out, he saw the number he was beginning to hate. He shoved it back into his pocket and allowed it to go to voice mail. He would deal with that particular call later. It was just another reminder anyway - a reminder that he had a job to finish - a job he had begun all those months ago in a house in Canada.

Jacob Black contacted him twice while he was in the hospital in Colorado recuperating from the injuries inflicted by his nemesis. His first call had been to get a status report and the next had been to remind him that his job was incomplete and now needed to be finished. Apparently, the fact that Edward kicked his ass and almost killed him, pissed him off so much that he just wanted to hurt the man anyway he could. Black's solution, kill Bella.

While that would have been a piece of cake a few weeks ago, now it proved to be a difficult thing for him to do. He knew eventually he would have to kill her as she would prove to be a liability, but he needed to get her out of his system first. He was sure if he just killed her, eventually he would go crazy. He needed time with her. Time to explore every line of that body and get to know her inside and out. He felt his dick twitch at the thought of being inside her. It would be heaven on Earth, and bring back some semblance of normality to his life.

He sighed. But first, he had other things to deal with. He had been getting a bad feeling from the time he found out that Edward had gone to Colorado to visit Jacob Black. They had a symbiotic relationship of sorts. Black had problems, and he eliminated them for him. It was the perfect arrangement. But what would happen if Black decided he was no longer useful and sent the authorities hunting for him? His life would be over. This left him with a very difficult problem that really only had one solution. Eventually, he was going to have to sever his ties with Jacob Black - lethally.


	24. What A Tangled Web We Weave

**Belated Christmas greeting and Happy New Year to you all. May your new year be filled with wealth, health, happiness and new prospects. **

**My apologies for the delay in this chapter, but it could not be helped. Life and illness got in the way. Anyhow, this A/N will be extremely short.**

**Special mention goes out to **_Meadowgirl552_** & **_Cullenbear _**(you have been my rocks. Thanks a million for always being there). I also want to thank, **_starlight90_** (thanks a million for the multiple reviews. Hope you enjoy this chapter), **_ryuurei01 _**(welcome back), **_Sammy73, Magan bagan, Tiakie, & Geneva Amazon. _**And to everyone else who read, reviewed and added the story to their favourites and alerts, a mountain of 'thank yous'.**

**Enough said, on with the story……**

* * *

**Chapter 23 - What A Tangled Web We Weave**

Edward slipped the white t-shirt over his head and shoved it into the waistband of his black jeans. He grabbed the black and white pinstriped, long sleeved shirt from its hanger and hurriedly thrust his arms through the sleeves. He had about one minute before Alice would once again bang on his door, demanding to know if he was ready. She had been bugging him for the past half hour to hurry, as she did not want to miss any part of Jasper's performance at _The Strand_.

_The Strand_ had recently opened and quickly become one of the most popular nightclubs in Seattle. The owner of the club had heard _The Wild Aces_ play at _The Mortuary_, and was so impressed, that he gave them a permanent spot on Saturday nights. This was the club's busiest night of the week. Alice was so proud of Jasper that she was driving all of them crazy - especially him.

He shoved his feet into his shoes and was tying the laces when his bedroom door flew open. The door slammed into the wall with a sharp crack. Alice was standing there, decked out in a red halter-neck dress which skimmed over her curves and reached just above her knees, her hands on her hips, tapping the toes of her red stiletto heels. She glared at him as if he had just committed some unspeakable crime.

"Shit, Alice," Edward snapped, tugging on the end of one of the laces. "I could have been naked for all you know."

Alice stuck out her tongue and gagged. "I've seen it before, and let me tell you, I was not impressed," she threw at him, her face reminiscent of someone who had just smelled something bad. "I somehow don't think the view has improved. Now, move your ass, will you?"

Unwillingly, Edward felt the tips of his ears grow warm. He knew Alice was referring to one particular incident while they were in college. She was supposed to be at an all night study session, so he and Bella used the opportunity to fool around. Alice walked in on them while they were in a very compromising position. She had placed her hands over her eyes, grabbed her books and stumbled from the room screaming, "My eyes, my fucking eyes! Somebody please help." His dick had immediately gone limp in his mortification and Bella...well, she almost had a heart attack. Nothing killed a buzz like having your friend walk in and catch you performing a rather enthusiastic version of the "Horizontal Mambo."

For weeks afterwards, he could not look Alice in the eye, and she took great pleasure in tormenting him. He endured comments like, "Someone's ass needs a tan," and "I've never seen it done quite that way," before he got smart and ignored her. When she realised her comments no longer bothered him, she gave up. _Bloody pest._

"Hey, Tiny Tim, you filled out that circus application form yet?" Edward asked, then ducked when one of his shoes came whistling past his head. It smashed into the wall with a loud thump and disappeared from sight behind his bed.

The doorbell rang, saving Alice from his retaliation. He noticed her small body stiffen slightly before she averted her eyes from his. A ghost of a smirk crossed her lips, then her face went blank and her eyes widened innocently. Her expression made him suspicious, but he quickly forgot about it when the bell rang again.

"Uh, could you get that?" Alice requested, taking a few hasty steps backwards through the door. "I've got to see if Bella is ready." With that, she disappeared, a flash of skin showing through the slit in the back of her dress.

"What the hell was that about?" he muttered, as he went down the stairs. He made it to the front door in record time, buttoning his shirt as he went.

Edward yanked open the door and froze when he saw a man standing there, a bouquet of pink and white flowers in one hand. The other hand was poised in an outstretched position as if he intended to ring the bell once again. He dropped his hand to his side when Edward appeared in the doorway, and the smile on his face slipped slightly, in obvious surprise.

Both men stared at each other in varying degrees of shock. Under other circumstances, the scene might have been funny. The man's piercing blue gaze bore into Edward, and he got the distinct impression the stranger was sizing him up. The expression on the man's face was split between wanting to blurt out "sorry, wrong house," and demanding to know who he was. Edward found this behavior to be extremely odd.

It then hit Edward that this guy probably did have the wrong house. It was not the first time someone came there by mistake looking for his neighbor, Jamie Hart. Jamie was a yoga instructor, but he suspected she used her lithe body to teach more than just the Crane or Bow poses.

"Hey, buddy, I think you have the wrong house," Edward said, sticking his head outside and pointing towards the darkened street. The artificial light from the street lamps cast a muddy, yellow glow on the still damp and slightly foggy road. "Jamie's house is two down on the opposite side of the street."

The man gave him an indulgent smile. "Jamie? Sorry I'm not familiar with her." The guy's accented voice was amused. "I'm here to see Isabella."

Edward took a step back as if he had suddenly been confronted by a snarling, spitting animal. A thousand thoughts thundered through his mind, but the only three which settled were _"This is him,"_ _"Fuck!"_ and _"I am so going to kill Alice."_

This explained why Alice had looked so smug before. She knew who was at the door. That little pain in the ass had set him up. He should have known something was up when Jasper issued the invitation to him for tonight's outing, instead of Alice. She seemed oddly satisfied when he told her he would be attending. It did not strike him as out of the ordinary at the time, as Alice was speaking to him on a "need-to-know-only" basis, but now it all made sense. She wanted to rub his face in his idiocy.

So, this was the guy who had forced his way into Bella's life and was slowly pushing him out. This was the guy who brought her home from dinner after midnight on the back of a motorcycle - a fucking motorcycle. This was the dickhead that she spent a day with at Olympic National Park taking Goddamn pictures. Who the hell spent an entire day taking pictures of a Goddamn park? If he was in a park alone with Bella, there would be no fucking way they would be taking pictures.

As the thought slammed into him about the possible goings on between Bella and the dickhead during their time in the park, anger bubbled up inside him, hot and molten. If this guy laid so much as a finger on his Bella, he was going to commit murder. The type of murder which would secure him a place on the F.B.I's Top 10 Most Wanted List - right under Osama Bin Laden. Wouldn't that be ironic? An F.B.I Special Agent on the Bureau's Most Wanted list. Talk about a steep decline in public morals.

The man standing in the doorway stared back at him as if he was mentally unbalanced and needed his daily shot. Edward was about to open his mouth and tell him to go fuck himself, when he was shoved roughly aside. He was caught so completely off guard that he stumbled to the side and collided with the door. Its glass panes shook and rattled under the impact.

Edward knew who had pushed him without even having to look - that backstabbing, traitorous little troll - Alice. Alice rolled her eyes at him then turned to the man watching them with a mixture of surprise and amusement.

"Liam, you're right on time," she greeted him, reaching out and grabbing the man's arm. "Bella should be down any minute."

Alice pulled the man inside, pushed Edward out of the way, and closed the door. Edward pressed himself into the wall as Alice breezed past him like he was a piece of furniture, Liam in tow. She threw him a scalding look as she walked away. The two disappeared around the corner, but her high, excited voice floated down the hallway and reached his ears.

"Are those for Bella? Wow, how pretty. Camelias? Nice."

He gritted his teeth and forced himself not to go get his gun.

If he was right, and he knew he was, this meant Liam was accompanying them to _The Strand_ as Bella's date. How could Alice do this to him? How could she be so incredibly cruel? Granted, he had brought this all on himself, but this was his house - his freaking home - and here she was welcoming this man in, like he belonged there.

The situation between him and Bella had deteriorated from that night he opened his big mouth and announced that he was not in love with her. He convinced himself that he was doing the right thing, but as he watched her walk away, he realised that he had made a mistake - a big one. But a mixture of his pride as he remembered her last words, as well as his recent conversation with Jacob Black, made him stay his ground. Regardless of what mistakes he committed, he was determined to keep her safe at all costs. Of course, now he wondered if he had not in fact, placed her directly in harm's way - harm's way being, Liam Kincaid.

Against his better judgment, he called in a favour and had Mr. Liam Kincaid investigated. Other than a misdemeanor for under-aged drinking when he was seventeen, there was nothing. He was as clean as a whistle, and that pissed Edward off because he couldn't find a legal reason to keep Bella from seeing him. Emotionally, he had a ton of reasons why she shouldn't, but ultimately they were all so selfish that he wasn't willing to even broach the topic with her. He also knew that if Bella ever found out he had poked his nose into her business, she would hit the roof. More of a reason for him to be in the "dog house" where she was concerned.

He had a good mind to haul ass and leave, but that would be juvenile and give Alice way too much satisfaction. If he had to excuse himself every five minutes and punch himself in the nuts to get through the night, he was perfectly willing to do so. If Alice wanted war, then war she would have - bring it on.

*~*~*

Bella straightened up after fastening the last buckle on the pair of silver sandals Alice had insisted that she wear. The heel on the sandals added about an inch to her already 5 foot 6 inch frame and made her feel more feminine. Wearing sneakers or flats all the time really did impact negatively on your self-esteem.

She stood carefully, grabbed her cane and took a few experimental steps to measure her balance. Surprisingly, there was no wobble to her stride, and Bella felt her confidence increase exponentially. Her worst fear was falling flat on her face in front of an audience. Especially Liam, who she knew would be arriving soon.

As Bella thought of Liam, she couldn't help but smile. His easy-going personality was infectious and when she was with him, she felt like they had been friends for years rather than just days. She was amazed at how comfortable she felt with him, and it seemed that the feeling was mutual.

Bella's mind drifted to the night she had dinner with him. As Alice primped and plucked her for what she considered to be Bella's first real date, she began to worry that things would go badly. What if she had nothing to talk about? What if she found something to say, but said the wrong thing? She worried so much that Alice slapped her on the arm and told her to stop stressing. In the end, Alice had been right, and the entire night went extremely well.

Once Liam arrived at the café, he presented her with a single white rose and a small gift bag. She was apprehensive about accepting a gift from him, but he insisted that she open it first. Inside the bag was a key-ring in the shape of a crazy-looking, tattooed biker chick with big, purple hair sitting on an oversized motorcycle. She proudly proclaimed in a speech bubble, "Biker Maniac For LIFE!!" This made Bella crack up, and that pretty much eradicated whatever apprehension she had left.

During their ride to the Pike Place Market and the Seattle Space Needle, Liam filled her in on interesting little facts about the places. For an outsider, he was surprisingly knowledgeable, and she told him so. He laughed and mumbled something which sounded suspiciously like, "Thank God for Google," and then gave her a teasing wink.

Liam's unique view of the world and his open-minded way of thinking were refreshing. As the night progressed, she felt more relaxed and thought less and less about Edward and the current state of their relationship. A slightly awkward moment arose during dessert when Liam insisted that she try a bite of his Chocolate Diablo Cake. He claimed it was a dietician's nightmare, but had better effects on the system than Morphine or sex. After a recommendation like that, how could she resist? After a bit of hesitation, she eventually took the bite he offered her on his fork. She swooned with pleasure.

Liam watched her reaction, a smug _I told you so_ smile on his face, and after attempting to dab her chocolate coated lips with his napkin, switched their plates. She protested, but he dug into her Coconut White Chocolate Mousse cake with an enthusiasm that made her feel less guilty for taking his dessert.

Liam was a pretty open person, and on the ferry ride home, he talked to her at length about his life and his job. He was single, a divorcee without any children, loved reading, sports and the outdoors. When Bella asked him why his marriage failed, he looked a little sad, but told her that he married his college sweetheart, Jennifer when they were both young. The pressure of constantly being away on various assignments, some of them dangerous, put a strain on the marriage. Sometimes he would be home only three months out of a year. They grew apart, and after trying to make it work for three years, they decided to sever all ties and call it quits. It was a difficult decision, but a necessary one, he told Bella. To do otherwise would have resulted in them hating each other. They still spoke occasionally, but Jennifer was now happily married, and she was expecting her first child with her new husband.

He told her about his job, which he loved, and how he had fallen into it quite by accident. He was seventeen and living in Dublin with his parents. Having way too much idle time on his hands, he had fallen in with the wrong crowd.

One night he and a group of friends, feeling lawless and bored, decided to break into a house. Fortunately or unfortunately, depending on one's take on life, he had been caught. His downfall had been the one thing he had loved all his life: the printed word.

The room they broke into was a library of sorts and filled to capacity with books, historical documents and newspapers. Liam was in awe at the extensive collection, but his friends had no appreciation for such things, and began to tear the room apart along with all its "treasures." He had protested - loudly and forcefully, so his friends had turned on him. They beat him and left him unconscious on the floor. He wasn't sure how long he had been out, but when he came to, he was lying in a bed, his cuts and bruises being tended to by a middle-aged man. Liam was terrified, but had something on his mind more important than his fear. The first words out of his mouth were, "Did I save the books?"

The man stared at him, trying to decide if he was insane or was high on some sort of drug, and told him that what could not be saved could be replaced. Liam, satisfied that no permanent damage had been done, quickly passed out again.

He awoke the following day, alone. Deciding that it would be best to make a break for it before the police came and dragged him away, he gathered his clothing. However, his injuries made it difficult for him to move quickly and silently. He was sure the amount of noise he made could be heard clear over in Dun Laoghaire, but hoped that his rescuer/warder had faulty hearing given his age. He made it downstairs, and as he tip-toed past the dining room, the man's voice had called out to him...by name.

Liam's first thoughts were that he was about to go to jail for the rest of his life and his parents were going to be so disappointed in him. As it turned out, the man, Mitchell Byrne, knew who he was, and had contacted his parents to inform them that he had been beaten by a gang of boys and that he was recuperating at his house. Mr. Byrne conveniently left out the part about him committing a felony, but there was a price to pay for his generosity. He required Liam to spend the next three months cataloguing and filing away every book and piece of paper in the library. During that time, he and Mr. Byrne became friends. It turned out that Mr. Byrne was a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist. By the time his three month sentence was up, Liam knew exactly what he wanted to be - a journalist.

With Mr. Byrne's help, he secured a scholarship to Dublin University, and everything else progressed from there. He finished university, got married and shortly after that got a job in London at the BBC as a proof-reader. It wasn't the job he had envisioned, but never one to shirk away from a challenge, he worked hard. It took him two years to rise up through the ranks, but in the end, he achieved his goal - to be one of the BBC's top journalists.

Bella wondered how Liam had seen the things he had and still remained optimistic and focused. He told her that one of the most important lessons his mentor taught him was to never allow the world to colour your thinking. Never let life dictate how you interact with it, but the other way around. Life was hard enough without humans adding to the chaos they carried around inside.

Those words struck a personal chord with Bella given all that had happened to her in the past months. To her surprise, she began to tell Liam her story. He commented when necessary, but mainly he just listened. She even told him about the phone calls she received, which thankfully, seemed to have stopped. She did choose not to talk about Edward, however. That particular topic was too personal and still too painful.

By the time she finished her story, she was in tears. Liam sat beside her, wrapped his arm around her, and allowed her to cry her heart out. As the tears flowed and soaked the front of Liam's shirt, she marveled at how easy it was for her to talk to him. It reminded her of how it used to be between her and Edward before she had complicated the situation with her feelings. Not that she could compare the feelings she had for Liam to those she had for Edward. There was no similarity, as Edward's touch alone set her on fire and made her feel as if she was standing on the crater of a erupting volcano. With Liam, a peaceful, contented feeling came over her, making her feel calm and centered. It was similar to how she felt when she was with Peter. Not only did he provide a distraction, but he made their conversations fun, and his knowledge of various topics was vast.

He had taken her home, and being the gentleman that he was, did not to try anything. However, he did make a promise to call her again the following day. Remembering her promise to Peter, she told Liam that she would be busy in the morning, but would be free after ten. As the words had left her lips, she wondered if it sounded as if she was inviting him out again. It certainly did to her ears.

Her visit with Peter went better than it had the previous day. While there was no change in his physical condition, his mental one had improved vastly. Peter was once again the happy little boy she knew. He told her that he had spoken to his mother, and she had reassured him there would be no divorce. She and his father were having some problems, but nothing that serious that would result in them parting ways. Bella was pleased to hear this, as it was her opinion, regardless how bad things got, that now was not the time to split their family up. Especially, since it looked like Peter's treatments were actually making his condition worse instead of better. Some instinct still told her that Peter would not be with them for much longer.

Bella left the ward with a heavy heart and her head filled with thoughts of her little fighter. As she walked out, her phone rang. It was Liam, and he immediately picked up on her distress. She told him her fears, and he tried to reassure her that things might not be as bad as she thought. When Liam's attempts to comfort her were met with failure, he asked her what her plans were for the remainder of the day. Bella told him she wanted to spend the rest of the day taking pictures at Olympic National Park for a project she had in mind. He asked her if he could tag along, and not having a reason to refuse his request, Bella said "yes." In truth, she did not relish spending the day alone in the quiet confines of the park, where her turbulent thoughts could intrude on her solitude. She hoped Liam would provide a much needed distraction.

She took a taxi back to the ferry dock, and he met her there equipped with his own camera, his bike and to her surprise, a picnic basket. Bella was doubtful that Liam would manage to fit everything on the bike, including her, but he did it somehow.

They spent the rest of the day in the park, taking pictures, talking and acting the part of tourists. Bella had to admit that it had been an extremely good day. So good, that when Liam had returned her home that evening, she had extended the invitation for him to accompany her and Alice to Jasper's first gig at _The Strand_. Bella wasn't sure why, but she craved Liam's friendship and wasn't willing to part with it just yet. He made it so easy for her to forget the bad stuff and tap into a side of her personality that she had forgotten. Or maybe it was just waiting for the right catalyst to come along and awaken it.

Bella took another look at her reflection in the full length mirror, and exhaled nervously when she heard the doorbell peal throughout the house. It was Liam, and he was on time. One of the things she noticed about him was that he was a stickler for time. He was also a perfectionist, and that reminded her of Edward. Both men seemed extremely intense when it came to their work and their personal lives. She just wished that she was one of the things Edward focused on with such narrow-minded focus.

*~*~*

"Hey Edward," Alice called from the living room. "What time did you tell Emmett and Rose to meet us?"

Edward groaned and ran his hand down his face. He had forgotten about Emmett and Rosalie. More witnesses to his absolute humiliation. He unconsciously rubbed his bicep where Emmett punched him when he told him of what he had done. It didn't hurt anymore, but the pain was still fresh in Edward's mind along with the barrage of profanity thrown his way by his brother. The words _asshole_, _retard_ and _shithead_ were just a few of the lovely terms his own flesh and blood used to describe him. Running out of imaginative and other descriptive words, Emmett then punched him and stormed out of the house.

That was a week ago, and while things had simmered between them and the bruise had faded to a nice shade of yellow, Emmett would never let him forget this particular incident. What was about to take place would be the equivalent of giving Emmett a life-long pass to an "all you could eat buffet." Instead of indigestion, he would have to suffer humiliation as Emmett tormented him.

"Edward!" Alice called again, irritation coating her voice.

_She was mad? Well, let her be mad._ He didn't care. He was fucking furious right now. So, by Edward's calculation, "fucking furious" trumped mad by about a billion to one.

Edward pushed himself off the wall and slowly made his way to the living room. With every step, he told himself that he needed to calm down and reminded himself about the dangers of carrying a loaded weapon into a nightclub. Technically, it wasn't dickhead's fault that his life had come to this. He was the one who decided that it was better for Bella if they were no longer attached to each other emotionally. Given the circumstances, though self-inflicted, he had to accept the consequences of his actions. While his brain was well aware of this, his heart was slow to catch up. He was going to need an extraordinary amount of self-control not to screw up the night for everyone else.

"Seven-thirty," Edward growled and took in the sight before him. He balled his right hand into a fist and heard his knuckles pop under the pressure.

Liam sat patiently on the couch, his legs crossed casually at the ankle with the flowers lying on their side beside him. His arms were stretched out across the back of the chair, and he was laughing at something Alice had said shortly before Edward entered the room. Liam seemed really comfortable, almost too comfortable, for his taste. It was as if he was accustomed to coming over and hanging out. Edward gritted his teeth to the point where he swore he heard the enamel crack.

"That should be good. Jasper's set doesn't begin until eight, so we should be seated by then," Alice was saying as she smiled at him. He shot her a dirty look, and her smiled faded. She cleared her throat and turned to smile at Liam. "Gosh, where are my _manners_? Liam, Edward, Edward, Liam." As Alice stressed on the word "manners," she sent a pointed look in Edward's direction. He ignored her lest he allow something unsavoury past his lips.

"Hey, Edward," Liam greeted him, standing and coming over to him. He stuck his hand out and Edward caught a brief glimpse of the gold links of a bracelet hidden beneath the cuff of his sleeve. "It's really nice to meet you."

Edward looked at Liam's hand for a fraction longer than he should have. He didn't know whether he should be gracious and shake it or give into his basic instincts and break the damn thing. Eventually, he opted for the former. He had all night to change his mind if the necessity arose, he figured.

"Same here," he muttered sullenly, and quickly released Liam's hand as if it were something dirty he had picked up off the street by mistake. Liam raised an eyebrow in confusion, but other than that, remained expressionless.

The tension in the room grew slowly, but it soon reached a stage where the three occupants began to feel its intrusive presence. Trying to ignore the obvious tension, Liam and Edward turned toward Alice in hope that she would break the ice. Alice's eyes moved between the two men, and for the first time in her life, she found herself speechless. It was not a good feeling.

"Alice? Where did you disappear to?" Bella's soft voice came down the stairs, immediately followed by her footsteps.

Edward breathed a sigh of relief at the interruption. He did not want Liam to know how much he abhorred his presence in his house and in Bella's life. He had no intention of giving him ammunition to use against him. At this point in time, Edward knew that his emotions were scraped so raw that the slightest thing would set him off. He feared that Bella would pick up that something was wrong, and he did not want that. He needed to get it together - fast.

Liam grabbed the flowers from the chair and went to stand beside Alice near the entryway. He sent a speculative look Edward's way, but quickly shifted his gaze when he caught Edward watching him with a frown on his face. Liam thought he was a pretty good judge of character and of people's moods. The moment he arrived and announced that he was here to see Bella, he sensed Edward's anger and dislike toward him.

Liam wondered what he had done to the man to warrant such a reaction. He wracked his brain but could not think of anything except that he was here to see Bella. He was aware that Alice was involved with the guy whose band they were going to see tonight, but the relationship between Edward and Bella was a mystery to him. Bella had mentioned Edward a handful of times while they were together but never told him what their relationship was. He assumed they were just really good friends, but was there more to it? That would certainly explain Edward's unusual behavior.

Alice told him that Bella was unattached, so Edward being the boyfriend was certainly out. However, the waves of hostility which rolled off the man told him, or to be more precise shouted at him, that he was unwelcome. If he was smart, he would find some excuse and leave, but he had never been a coward and had no intention of becoming one now. He liked Bella - a lot -quite possibly more than any other woman he had met in a very long time. Also, he was here at her invitation, and that meant she wanted him here. There was no way this Edward was going to scare him off. If he wanted him to leave, he would have to say so. But as long as Bella appreciated his company and wanted him around, then this is exactly where he would stay. Edward would just have to get used to the situation.

When Bella rounded the corner, Edward felt as if something had sucked the oxygen from the room. He could not breathe, and the noises in the room faded into the background. She was beautiful. His eyes took in the mane of shiny mahogany hair which was curled and pulled into a side pony tail with an elaborate silver barrette. His eyes then moved down to her dress which flowed over her curves and then tapered at her hips. It was made of a shimmery, silver material making her skin appear delicate. He longed to run his fingers over the skin he knew would be soft, warm and so delectable.

Bella's eyes collided with his, and she drew to an abrupt halt. She seemed surprised to see him there. Edward realised that she had no idea that he was going with them. Strike two for Alice. The troll was certainly on a roll tonight.

"Wow!" Alice exclaimed, circling Bella like a shark in open water. "Look at you. You look great."

Bella blushed and rolled her eyes at Alice, clearly embarrassed. Her eyes drifted briefly over Edward then shifted to Liam. She tried to hide the fact that she was upset, but being the lousy actress she was, it was a waste of time. Edward could feel the agitation rolling off her. Before the night was over, Alice would have a lot of explaining to do.

Edward frowned and wondered if he should use this as an opportunity to back out of the evening. It was obvious that Bella did not want him to accompany them. He could kill two birds with one stone. Make Bella happy by not being around and give his heart the ease of not having to watch Bella and Liam together for the rest of the night. It was a perfect solution. Everyone would be happy. However, when he looked at Liam, he immediately changed his mind.

Liam stared at Bella as if she was a tall glass of cold water and he was a man in the desert. The man was completely transfixed, and this made Edward want to clobber him right there and then. The way he ogled her made him angry. And when Liam's eyes slithered over Bella's body, like he was mentally disrobing her, Edward had had enough. Wanting to break the spell that had settled over the little group, he said the first thing that came to mind.

"No she doesn't," Edward whispered, but still loud enough for everyone to hear. "She looks beautiful."

Three pairs of eyes settled on him. One grey pair accusing, one blue pair surprised and the last pair, a beautiful chocolate brown flecked with gold, was staring at him in shock. Bella's cheeks turned a bright crimson and she shifted her gaze to the floor. Her hand tightened on the handle of her cane. He could not tell if it was to give herself support or to stop herself from using it as a weapon.

"Uh, thanks," she mumbled, her voice a strangled whisper.

An uncomfortable quiet settled in the room as each person tried to process what exactly Edward's statement implied. Edward turned to look at Liam and found the man watching him with a frown. Edward noted the unmistakable challenge in his eyes. Liam's eyes shifted slowly to Bella, who was now engaged in conversation with Alice, and then back to Edward again. A look of resolve came over his face, and he gave Edward a tight smile as if to say, "Game On."

The entire thing reminded Edward of that Rocky Balboa movie where Rocky was forced to fight the Russian giant to avenge the death of his friend. The words "You will lose," reverberated inside his head as he stared at his opponent. The battle lines were clearly drawn, and Bella was the ultimate prize. Edward nodded his head ever so slightly, letting Liam know that he understood and accepted the challenge. Even if Bella did not want him, he had no intention of letting this man have her. None at all.

*~*~*

An hour and many spikes in Edward's blood pressure later, they finally reached the nightclub. _The Strand_ was located in a newly, renovated warehouse in the heart of downtown Seattle. The outside of the brightly lit building teemed with people, all of whom stood waiting anxiously for their turn to enter through the large ornately carved wooden doors. Two bouncers flanked both sides of the door and admitted people in ones and twos. Because of this slow progression, the line snaked around the block. It was an orderly chaos since no one wanted to cause a scene and risk being denied entry into one of the hottest tickets in town. The muffled "thump" of dance music could be heard from the outside.

Edward dropped off his passengers on the curb and gritted his teeth when Liam placed his hand on Bella's elbow and helped her out. He felt a sharp pain shoot up his jaw and unclenched his teeth. There was a permanent ache in his jaw as all he had done since Liam had arrived was to grind his teeth together. At the rate he was going, a visit to the dentist would soon be in order.

As he shoved the vehicle in drive with more force than was necessary, he caught a glimpse of Emmett and Rosalie as they approached the small group. Emmett's eyes met his briefly as he drove off to find a parking space at the rear of the building. Finally managing to find a space among the throng of vehicles, Edward cut the engine and rested his head on the steering wheel. He breathed slowly in through his nose and out through his mouth, attempting to calm his stomach. He was in turmoil - absolute chaos - and he felt nauseous.

The thirty-five minute trip across the Sound had been difficult for him as he watched the interaction between Bella and Liam. It was obvious that she liked him. The rapport between them was easy, and as Bella laughed at something Liam said, it reminded him of how things used to be between them. Their friendship had been the easiest thing in the world, before he had completely shut Bella down. He missed that friendship, almost as much as he missed Bella.

Edward sat up quickly when there was a sharp tap on the window beside his left ear. Emmett was standing outside with a questioning look on his face. He gestured for him to unlock the door. Edward sighed, opened the door, and got out.

"You okay?" Emmett asked as Edward engaged the alarm and shoved the keys into his pocket.

Edward began to walk away. "Yeah, I'm great. Just freaking perfect. Couldn't be better," he growled, trying to put as much distance between himself and his brother.

By now Emmett had already met Liam, and Edward sensed an impending lecture looming ahead. He was not in the mood for Emmett's _Dear Abby_ act tonight. _He should really go give his advice to someone who gave a damn_, Edward thought.

"Hey, wait up," Emmett said, grabbing Edward's arm. Edward turned and glowered at him. "We need to talk."

"What about?" Edward snapped. He looked down at Emmett's hand on his arm and Emmett, taking the hint, released it.

"About, Liam," Emmett said, his tone grave. "I'm not sure what's going on, but I've got a pretty good idea what's going through that head of yours."

Edward raised an eyebrow in disbelief. "Really? I don't think you do."

Emmett laughed, but the sound was sympathetic. "Yes, I do. I know you like the back of my hand. Right about now, you're wishing you had brought your gun..." Emmett's voice trailed off and his eyes widened. "You didn't bring it, did you?"

Edward made an impatient noise in his throat. "No, I'm not that stupid."

Emmett exhaled in relief. "Good, but I have a piece of advice for you. Whatever you're thinking, stop it. Whatever you plan to do, don't do it. You brought this upon yourself, Edward. So bear that in mind before you fuck up the night for everyone, especially for Bella."

With that, Emmett walked away and left Edward standing there in shock. The shock slowly transformed to indignation and then burning anger. What did Emmett know about what he was going through? He had lost the woman he loved, but he had had the balls to go after her. Emmett had not arrived in L.A. to find Rose dating some other guy, so what the hell did he know? _He_ was the one who had pushed away the woman he loved and left the door open for someone to swoop in and take her away. _He_ was the one who would have to sit and watch while some other guy got close to his Bella and tried to win the heart that once was his. _He_ was the one who had fucked up royally and now would have to pay the ultimate price - losing the woman he loved more than his own life.

*~*~*

By the time _The Wild Aces_ were halfway through their first set, Edward was on his third whiskey. He felt wonderfully numb inside, and knew it was due to the effects of the alcohol. He took another sip and closed his eyes as the liquid anaesthetic burned a hot trail down his esophagus and into the fiery wasteland of his stomach. He placed the glass on the table and swirled the ice cubes with the tip of the plastic stirrer the bartender had been so thoughtful to include. He stared into the glass and almost swore he could see the ice melting, the water diluting the rich, golden colour. Edward knew then that he should probably make this his last drink as he was well on his way to becoming shit-faced and he was the designated driver, but what the heck? Where had being good gotten him lately?

_Fucked_, he muttered, and frowned when Alice gave him the evil eye from her spot beside Bella on the opposite side of the booth. It was amazing that she managed to hear him over the tempo of the music when no one else seemed to.

She had been watching him all night, and Edward was just itching for her to say something to him so that he could verbally dismember her. It was all her fault, and sooner or later he was going to get the opportunity to say his piece.

Edward's gaze fell upon Bella. She was watching the band's performance with a look of awe on her face. He knew she was enjoying herself. Other than the disastrous family dinner of a few weeks ago, this was really Bella's first outing with him, and he hadn't even said twenty words to her since his declaration that she looked beautiful. He was still mentally beating himself up for that slip of tongue.

Edward released his hold on the red plastic stick and ran his fingers through his hair. The stirrer continued to revolve in his glass as if some invisible hand had taken control of it.

Liam leaned over and whispered something in Bella's ear. She nodded. He then excused himself from the table and made his way over to the bar. Edward watched as Bella's eyes followed Liam's progress, and he felt a flame of jealously flare up inside him. He felt his vision blur around the edges as a pain started in the center of his chest and radiated outwards until it encompassed his heart.

Bella was watching Liam as if she was afraid he was going to disappear. _How the hell could she be so chummy with a guy she had just met a few days ago?_ Bella had carried on active conversations with everyone at the table except him. She only spoke to him when absolutely necessary, and since the music was so loud, that wasn't very much. He felt like the proverbial fifth wheel, and it irritated him like a thorn under his skin. It also didn't help that Emmett shot him warning looks every few minutes.

As if feeling his eyes on her, Bella glanced his way and froze. In the pulse of the flashing lights, Edward saw Bella's cheeks lose a bit of their colour, and she tugged the right corner of her bottom lip between her teeth. His eyes followed the movement, and he felt himself harden painfully. What he wouldn't give right now to replace her teeth with his tongue.

Edward felt the tension between them rise a few notches as Bella continued to stare into his eyes. As much as he wanted to, he could not break the spell she had woven around him. When the tip of her tongue nervously glided across her lip, he groaned and balled his hand into a fist. It was all he could do not to grab her, shove his tongue down her throat and make love to her right there on the table. He was sure that would get them forcibly ejected from the club. But it would also show Liam who really was running things around here.

Bella's mouth formed into an "O" as if she realised what he was thinking. A bead of sweat slid down between the valley of her breasts and disappeared from sight. Edward envied the small droplet of moisture.

The spell was finally broken by Liam's return to the table. Bella quickly averted her eyes from his and smiled up at Liam. Edward swore under his breath at the irony of it all. He was sure something had happened between him and Bella just now, but Liam had to come along and interrupt everything before he could figure out what that "something" was.

Liam handed Bella a pink-colored beverage, all the while eyeing Edward, as he reclaimed his seat. He draped his arm across the back of the booth and rested his fingers lightly on her shoulder. Liam threw an amused look in Edward's direction just before he leaned over and whispered something in Bella's ear. Her lips twitched and then she laughed lightly.

Edward growled and gripped the glass tightly in his fist. He was dimly aware of its potential to shatter in his hand, but he was past the point of reasonable thinking. All he wanted to do was beat the shit out of Liam. He was under no misconceptions that the man had witnessed the stand off between himself and Bella. Oh yes, he noticed and was fighting dirty. _Son-of-a-bitch_.

Suddenly, he felt a hand on his arm and looked up into Rosalie's sympathetic eyes. She gave him a small smile and nodded slightly. When Jasper had led them to the booth he had reserved for them earlier, Rosalie had chosen to sit between him and Emmett instead of sitting with the girls. He had thought nothing of it at the time, but now it made sense. She had foreseen that he would need moral support.

He smiled his thanks and released the glass when she nudged it out of his grip. Rosalie pushed it a little out of his reach and replaced it with a small rubber ball she had miraculously extracted from her equally small purse. She shoved it under his palm. Edward raised an eyebrow, and Rosalie gestured for him to come closer when she saw his confusion.

"Squeeze this. It works," she whispered in his ear, amusement evident in her voice. "How do you think your brother is still alive?"

Edward would have laughed had he not been feeling so lousy. He glanced at Emmett and saw his brother roll his eyes dramatically in Rosalie's direction. She gave him a teasing look and blew a kiss at him. Emmett being a great big softy when it came to his wife-to-be, reached into the air, caught the invisible kiss and placed it over his heart. It was all Edward could do not to gag at the lovey-dovey antics of the two people. In general, it was annoying as hell to watch them act like two love-struck teenagers, but now, it was even worse. Especially as the attention of everyone at the table was now centered on them. He saw a wistful look cross Bella's face.

"So, Liam," Emmett said, turning his attention to the man. "What type of work are you into?"

Liam smiled, but looked slightly embarrassed by the sudden attention he received. "I'm a journalist."

Immediately, all eyes turned to stare at Liam. Their attention was so rapt that it was as if one of Jesus' disciples had descended out of the sky and was about to transmit a message sent directly from The Master. Edward leaned against the leather seat, dropped his hand beneath the table, and squeezed the ball as hard as he could. He repeated the action a few times and to his surprise, he felt some of the tension leave his body. He would definitely need to invest in a few of these if he intended to spend any time around Bella in the near future.

Edward listened, but he was distracted as Liam told them about his job and some of the assignments he had been on. It was obvious that he loved his job, but from what Edward gathered, there wasn't much room for a social life with him running all over the globe. He wondered if Bella realised that if she chose to get involved with Liam she would always play second to his job. Furthermore, there was no stability in the man's life, and he knew that was something Bella craved.

_Hmmm! Doesn't this all seem familiar?_ a voice in his head asked. The voice sounded like his, but it had an irritating sneer to it, almost as if it was laughing at him. _After all, you're no better than he is, so who are you to judge?_

Edward ignored the voice and grabbed his glass from the table, downing the contents in one quick swallow. He raised his hand to attract the attention of a passing waitress. Rosalie gave him a censured look, and Emmett shook his head, expressing his disapproval of Edward's action. Edward pretended not to see them and thanked the waitress when she returned with his drink.

Ten minutes into Liam's explanation about the current hostile environment in Iraq, Edward felt he had heard enough. He was as patriotic as the next guy, but Liam was really laying it on thick. From the way he was talking you would think he was the first and last damn reporter...sorry journalist, to be sent to Iraq. Edward leaned forward and molded his features into a benign expression.

"So, Liam," Edward interrupted, mindful that five pairs of eyes were staring at him. "With such a busy career, it doesn't leave much time for anything else, does it?"

Emmett groaned and then tried to stifle the sound behind a very fake sounding cough. Alice's eyes shot daggers at him, while Rosalie tried hard not to let the smile she was fighting to control break the surface. Bella stared at him in confusion. Her brows knitted together as she tried to figure out where Edward was coming from. Edward had the urge to reach out and smooth away the crease on her forehead, but he kept his hands in their current position - wrapped around his glass and, underneath the table, a choke hold on the ball.

Liam looked startled at the sudden interruption and change in topic, but quickly recovered and gave Edward a pleasant smile.

"True, but I'm a pretty flexible person. I've the ability to multitask quite well. If I want something, be that a social life"--- Liam paused and his eyes moved slightly toward Bella ---"or something else, I can usually make it work." Liam's voice carried a hint of unconcealed amusement, and this irritated Edward more.

The occupants of the table were now watching the two men with rapt interest. However, the reason behind the controversy watched them in disbelief.

"Multitask? That's a strange way to put it," Edward said thoughtfully, taking a sip from his glass. "Does that mean you have to force the issue? Hmmm, you know there are so many things that can go wrong when you try to force something."

Liam stiffened, but continued to stare at Edward, a pitying look on his handsome face. The amazing thing about the entire situation was that Liam actually felt a bit sorry for Edward. It was obvious that his closeness with Bella was bothering the man. In any other situation, he would have taken Edward aside and told him to either chuck the attitude or take a hike, but this was not the norm. He got the feeling that Edward was itching for a fight, and he had no intention of accommodating him. Plus, it would upset Bella if he hurt her friend, and being a third-degree black belt in Tae kwon do would give him an unfair advantage.

Edward glanced at Bella and saw that she was frowning at him. The earlier look of confusion had completely disappeared. He continued to focus his attention on Liam, but Bella's glare was making it difficult. He could feel her gaze slice with laser sharp precision through his head. She was not a happy camper right now.

Bella knew the double talk between Edward and Liam was all about her and this irritated her by more by the second. What did they think she was? Six? Did they think her so obtuse that she would not realise they were really talking about her?

Edward had been acting strange all night. He was being moody, anti-social, rude and in her opinion, was drinking too much. He was now on to his fourth whiskey and they had been at the club all of two hours. At first she wondered what was bothering him, but after his not so subtle comments, she knew that the source of his ire was Liam. But why? If she didn't know better, she would have thought that Edward disliked him. That was irrational since the two men had just met, but the undercurrent was strong. They were involved in a personal tug-of-war, and neither side was willing to give up.

What infuriated her most was Edward's lack of manners, something he was displaying for everyone to see. Ugh! It was so embarrassing. And what was the earlier "stare-fest" all about? It was downright inappropriate, impolite and it confused the hell out of her. What confused her more was her own reaction.

Bella had been so aroused that she had almost dove across the table and tackled Edward right there and then. His intense stare was so heated that her internal thermostat had gone haywire, and despite the cool temperature of the room, she had broken into a sweat. She had almost screamed at him to stop looking at her, but that would have been weird and made her appear to be losing what little was left of her mind.

Liam shrugged, unconcerned. "Like I said before, _Edward_, I usually make it work," he paused and fixed Edward with a steely glare. "I usually get what I want." Liam squeezed Bella's shoulder possessively. Edward's eyes followed the movement, and his face turned red.

With the utterance of those words, a few things happened simultaneously. Edward started to rise from his seat, but Emmett reached across Rosalie, pushing her backwards into the seat, and grabbed his brother's arm to restrain him. Then Bella, reaching the end of her patience, stood suddenly, knocking Liam's hand off her shoulder. She glared at both men and immediately they knew they were in serious trouble. Relenting to Emmett's steel like grip on his arm, Edward meekly sat down, and Liam flashed an apologetic smile at everyone.

"Will you two stop it?" she snapped, her hand on her hips. "My God, it's like being in kindergarten. What the hell is wrong with you?"

Alice snickered but fell silent when Bella threw her a caustic look. It was rare to see Bella in such a form, but when it happened, people usually had the good sense to shut up and listen.

"Sorry," Liam and Edward uttered at the same time. They both looked embarrassed, but this did not cool Bella's temper. She was tired of people treating her as if she was some fragile, little simpleton who you had to speak in code around so she would not become upset. It was annoying and downright insulting.

"You should be. We came here to support Jasper, and here you two are fighting like a bunch of little girls," Bella chastised, waving a hand in the air. The bracelets she wore jingled furiously, seeming to match time with her anger. "So cut it out or I'll have security throw you both out on your asses. Oh, and one more thing. I might have lost my memory, but I still have my common sense. I know when people are talking about me, and it's damn rude."

Everyone remained silent, afraid to say anything to make the situation worse. After having had her say, Bella immediately began to cool down. She felt some of the tension ebb from her body, and she slowly began to relax. Bella's eyes collided with Rosalie's and to her surprise, the woman was watching her with a look of admiration on her face. Bella straightened her spine and then directed her gaze to the two men.

"Now, if you two are finished measuring your dicks, Liam come with me." Bella grabbed Liam's hand and stalked off, dragging him behind her.

Emmett choked on his beer and erupted in a coughing fit. Edward's face turned red. Alice's eyes bulged in their sockets, and Rose giggled as she pounded Emmett on his back to help him clear his throat so he could breathe normally.

"Wow, she sure told you," Emmett chuckled, wiping his streaming eyes with the heels of his hands.

"Oh, shut the fuck up," Edward growled, as he stared after Bella and Liam.

*~*~*

As John Mayer's melodic voice belted out the lyrics to his hit "Slow Dancing in a Burning Room," Bella and Liam drew to a halt in the middle of the dance floor. Jasper's band was taking a break, and the DJ was now in charge of the music. A few couples took the opportunity to make use of the almost empty dance floor. Once the band started up again, there would be standing room only.

When Bella had dragged Liam in the direction of the dance floor, he was so surprised that you could have knocked him over with a feather. He assumed that she was going to take him some place and tear into him afresh, but all she said was, "I like this song; let's dance."

When they finally reached their destination, Bella paused and almost re-thought her earlier decision. She looked at the other dancers, and a look of frustration came over her.

"What's wrong?" Liam asked. Bella glanced down at her leg and then at the cane. "Ahhh, got you. Not to worry, I've got a solution for that."

Liam extracted the cane from her hand, disappeared for a few seconds and then came back, empty handed. He placed both hands on Bella's waist and lifted. The sudden motion and loss of gravity made her gasp in surprise, but soon she was standing again, squarely on Liam's booted feet. She looked up into his eyes in disbelief, and would have stepped down, had he not been holding her tightly against the hard, muscled length of his body.

"Liam, I'm too heavy," she fretted. She placed her hands on the front of his chest in order to steady herself.

Liam chuckled and began to move slowly in time to the music. "My great-aunt Maggie is heavier than you are and has bigger feet."

Bella laughed nervously and wrapped her hands around Liam's biceps. Taking one hand from her waist, he caught each of her hands and placed them around his neck. Bella had to admit that it was a more comfortable position, and she relaxed against him. They remained like that for a few minutes, both enjoying the music. She sighed and caught a glimpse of Edward's face from across the room as Liam spun her around. Edward's face remained impassive as he continued to sip his drink, his eyes focused on them.

"I feel the need to apologise once again," Liam whispered. As he spoke, his breath tickled her ear and ruffled her hair. "I behaved badly."

Bella snorted, but then laughed lightly. "Yes, you did, but apology accepted."

Liam grinned, his blue eyes twinkling with amusement. "Can I ask you a question?"

Bella raised an eyebrow suspiciously. "Sure,"

"Edward? Is he always so protective of you?"

She shrugged. "I guess, but I think it's gotten worse since I was attacked. He worries too much."

Liam looked deep into Bella's eyes, but there was no hint of deceit. She was completely oblivious to the real reason for Edward's behavior. She actually thought he was just being over-protective. From that, Liam realised that Bella was completely unaware that Edward's feelings were more than those of a friend. Something else also bothered him. He saw how Bella and Edward watched each other when he went to the bar. It was then that his earlier suspicions once again reared their ugly little heads.

"Another question," Liam said, placing his lips closer to Bella's ear as they continued to dance. She smelled wonderful, like flowers on a fresh spring morning. The sensation her scent gave him was like being struck in the gut. For a moment, he forgot what it was he wanted to ask, the neurons in his brain misfiring.

"Hmmm, you're full of those tonight," she commented, pulling back her head so that she was looking at him. "What is it now?" Her tone was teasing, and Liam had to force his brain to get back on track.

"How long has he been your ex?"

Bella's eyes widened in surprise, and Liam knew he had hit the nail squarely on the head. He was a very intuitive person, and the suspicion had been eating away at him since Edward's strange behavior back at the house.

"Ex?" Bella mumbled, dropping her eyes to his chest. He took his finger, placed it under her chin and gently raised her face so that she was once again looking into his eyes.

"Yes, ex," he repeated, smiling gently.

Bella's eyes glimmered as if he had just brought up something extremely painful. _So, there's more_, he thought. Well whatever it was, he would find out later. It made no sense backing her into a corner now, especially after what had taken place earlier. Besides, he got the feeling that whatever she was hiding was something extremely painful to her. The last thing he wanted was to cause her any more pain.

Bella sighed as if the weight of the world sat squarely on her shoulders. "I'm not sure of the exact time, but about four years, I think. I only found out recently, and we haven't exactly spoken about it."

Bella saw confusion flash across Liam's face and held her breath, waiting for the barrage of questions to come. They didn't. Liam just held her tighter, placed his chin on the top of her head and continued to dance. She could tell he was thinking hard about what she had just said.

"Okay, no more questions tonight," Liam said, finally. "Let's dance."

*~*~*

Edward continued to stare at the two people on the dance floor, and he felt like his world was about to implode. They looked perfect together. Liam leaned down, whispered something in Bella's ear, and she laughed. The moment seemed so intimate that if it were a movie, everyone in the room would have held their breaths. A sharp pain cut across Edward's chest, and he felt his eyes began to burn. Had his decision to fight for her come a little too late? Had he truly lost her? It would serve him right if he had. He had allowed pride and that insufferable urge to do the right thing get in his way once again. And the result? He acted like an ass the entire night, and Bella had called him out - publicly.

Edward wanted to see Liam as the bad guy in this story. He was the villain who swept in and attempted to sway the heroine with his deceitful words and actions. But in reality, Liam seemed to be a pretty decent guy. After all, he had accepted Edward's not so subtle snubs all night long and had not returned the attitude until he was attacked. Some men would have called him out way before that. It only proved that Liam was willing to fight fair, certainly fairer than he was.

He took a gulp of the whiskey, and feeling eyes on him, exhaled loudly. Alice had disappeared a little while ago to go find Jasper. Emmett had gone in search of the bathroom, leaving Rosalie to watch Edward and make sure he did not do anything else foolish in his absence. Rosalie reached over and squeezed his hand gently.

"Edward, I'm so sorry. I know how painful this must be for you," Rosalie's eyes were on the couple on the dance floor as she said this. However, instead of looking angry, as he thought she would, she looked sympathetic.

Edward looked down at Rosalie's hand and a lump rose in his throat. He swallowed hard to force it down before he spoke. "Yeah, but it's my fault," he said, hoarsely. He drained the glass and turning it upside down, rested it on the tabletop. "So don't feel too sorry for me."

"Edward---" Rosalie began, shaking her head.

Edward shook his head, and stood abruptly. He riffled through his pockets, extracted his keys and a few dollar bills. He threw the bills down on the table and pressed his car keys and the rubber ball into Rosalie's hand. She looked at the items and him in confusion.

"I've got to get out of here," he whispered. "Give my keys to Alice; she'll know what to do."

Rosalie looked desperate. "But what about you? Where are you going?"

Edward stared across the room at Bella and sighed. He couldn't bear to see her with Liam for one more minute. He felt as if his insides had been run through a grater and then a blender for good measure. He felt as if he couldn't breathe. No matter how many deep breaths he took, he couldn't seem to get enough air into his lungs. On top of that, his head was beginning to spin from his sudden ascent, and what he assumed to be the after-effects of the whisky.

"Any place but here," Edward said, his voice strangled. "I gotta go."

As soon as Edward stepped onto the curb, a cab pulled up. He jumped inside and pulled out his phone. He pressed "two" on his speed dial. Almost immediately, his father answered. The cab driver looked into his rear-view mirror expectantly, and Edward held up a finger, silently asking for a few minutes before he gave his destination.

"Dad, are you still at work?" he asked. His voice no more than a croak, immediately put Carlisle on alert.

"Yes, what's wrong?" Carlisle asked, concerned. "Are you okay?"

Edward sniffed. "No, I'm not. I need someplace to crash tonight. Can I use your office?"

Carlisle paused. "Sure, I'll be waiting,"

"Oh, and Dad, I'll need coffee...lots of it."

* * *

Liam quickly typed the name into the search engine, and paused for a split second before he hit the "Enter" key. Immediately, a number of hits appeared on the screen. He scrolled through a few of them and finally something caught his eye. He clicked on the link.

Ten minutes later, he had all the answers and more to the questions swirling around in his head. A part of him felt sorry he had done it, but mostly, he felt relief. He now understood what he was dealing with, and knew the insurmountable obstacles in his path. He was also extremely angry.

He grabbed his phone lying beside the laptop, scrolled through his address book and found the number he wanted. The phone rang a couple of times, until finally, a voice answered.

"It's Liam," he said, identifying himself unnecessarily. "We need to talk."


	25. Gravity

**I want to thank all those who have stood by me during the progression of this story. I think without your kind words and support, I might have chucked it in by now.**

**Special thanks go out to my friends **_Cullenbear, Meadowgirl552 & Shellyb09 _**who continue to be there for me. I also want to thank **_Sammy73, Malana09, O.N. Labbit, EdwardsDominicanQueen, dreampills, magan bagan, Melee03, Luereetwilitejunki & Evermore001. _**Special mention goes out to all others who reviewed, PMed me and added the story to their alerts and favourites. Thank you!**

**I want to take this time to send out my heartfelt prayers for our brothers and sisters in Haiti. To say I know what they are experiencing would be a lie. How does one know such tragedy and human suffering if they have never really experienced it? My prayers are with you and your families. May God grant you peace.**

**Now for the warning about this chapter. It contains sexual content and mild periods of violence. My apologies if this offends anyone.**

**With that out of the way, on with the story……….**

* * *

**  
Chapter 24 - Gravity**

Liam crossed the busy intersection and entered Trinity Plaza through its wide, automatic glass doors. He glanced briefly at the mall's layout mounted on a large electronic placard to the left. Finding the location of the food court, he made his way to the bank of elevators.

Since his telephone conversation last night, he had had a lot of time to decide what he would say, as well as what his list of demands would be. None of them were overly harsh given the circumstances, but he knew the person he was about to meet with would object strongly.

The elevator drew to a stop with a slight jerk at the fifth floor, and when the doors opened, the fragrance of Espresso, Pizza, Popcorn and the undertones of some sort of industrial cleaning solution assailed his senses. He wrinkled his nose at the overwhelming odors.

Quickly scanning the faces and looking over the few heads which crossed his vision, he realised that the traffic in the food court was surprisingly light for this time of day. However, that was a positive for him as he caught sight of the small figure seated at a table beside the indoor fountain - Alice. She stared into a cup of what he assumed to be coffee. But from her expression it seemed she was trying to divine some sort of magical message from its depths.

"You're early," he commented and sat across from her in the green, ornate carved metal chair.

Alice shrugged, smiling. "It's been known to happen ever so often."

"Francesca would be in shock if she knew her daughter had been on time for something," Liam chuckled.

Alice smiled sadly at the mention of her mother. It was one of the habits she never could seem to break Alice from - habitual tardiness. Francesca Brandon used to say that given the opportunity, Alice would be late for her own funeral. Alice pursed her lips as she thought about her mother's funeral. It was one of the only things she had been on time for. How ironic that her mother had not been there to bear witness.

"Yes," she sighed, feeling the usual pain of loss attack her like the bite of an old war wound. She wondered if there would come a time when she would think of her mother without feeling such anguish. However, there would be time to consider that later. Self-analysis was not why she was here.

"So, you said we needed to talk?" Her voice was hesitant.

Liam sat back against the chair and inhaled deeply. He was sure Alice knew exactly why he had summoned her here, but she was pretending otherwise. Or maybe, she was stalling in hopes that he would change his mind. There was as much chance of that happening as a snow storm in sunny Barbados.

"Yes. About Bella," he paused, staring her directly in the eye. "And Edward."

Alice's face paled visibly, but her expression remained the same. She took a sip from her cup and stared at him over the rim. Liam could tell that she was wondering how much he knew.

Liam waited for her response, the silence between them slowly growing uncomfortable. "What about them?" she finally asked.

Liam sighed and shook his head. So this was how she wanted to play this? She was taking the defensive position, and had no intention of giving anything away. When he came to meet her, it was his intention to be diplomatic, but if this was the way she wanted it, then he was perfectly willing to dispense with the formalities.

"Their past," he threw at her. "You do know that Bella is walking around with the misguided idea that Edward is her ex-boyfriend, instead of her ex-husband, right?"

Alice's eyes widened in shock as she choked on her beverage and coughed uncontrollably. A few people glanced in their direction, but no one seemed overly concerned that she might be choking. She quickly placed the cup on the table and brought the spasms under control. Tears streamed from her eyes, but she quickly dabbed at them with the corner of her napkin. The hand that clutched the napkin trembled slightly.

"H-how did you find out?" she gasped, staring at him in horror.

"I'm a Journalist, remember? It's what I do." His voice was laced with sarcasm and exasperation.

Alice glared at him. He glared back. "Yes, I know that, but..."

Liam held up his hand, silencing her. "No buts, Alice. I want answers," he demanded, his voice dangerously low. "How much does she really know? Does she know the depth of their relationship? Does she know about the accident? Does she know about her--"

Alice slammed her hand down on the table, interrupting Liam's barrage of questions. The coffee cup jumped a few centimeters into the air. Its contents sloshed over the rim and onto the table.

"It looks like you already know the answers. Why bother to ask?" she snapped. She mopped up the spilt liquid with her napkin and finished what was left in the cup. She stuffed the soiled napkin into the empty cup.

Liam fixed her with a cold stare. "Because I wanted to be sure,"

"Of what?"

"That you and the Cullens are all a pack of deceitful liars," he accused.

Alice looked as if he had slapped her. Immediately, her eyes filled with tears and her lips began to tremble.

"That's not fair," she whispered, brokenly. "You have no right to pass judgment on something you know nothing about."

Liam gave a harsh bark of laughter. "Don't I? How can you live with yourself knowing what you do? You live in a house with them, for Christ's sake. You see the turmoil she's going through. She's being torn apart," Liam hissed through gritted teeth. "How can you stand there and watch her dig herself into a deeper hole everyday - fall in love with _him _all over again, and then blame herself for it?" His words came out as a strangled whisper. "How can you stand by and watch that, then claim to be her friend?"

Alice stiffened when Liam said "fall in love with him." She was shocked that he knew how Bella felt about Edward. Bella was doing such a good job the past days disguising it. She was surprised that a practical stranger recognised the signs.

Of course, he must have figured it out last night after Edward left the club. When Liam and Bella returned to the table, she, Emmett and Rosalie were discussing what had occurred that night and how it had culminated in Edward's sudden departure. Bella caught the tail-end of the discussion and not seeing Edward, demanded to know where he was. Rosalie's explanation was simple; he was not feeling well.

It was clear that Bella did not believe the poor excuse. She tried to call him on his cell phone, but could not reach him. It was apparent that his departure upset her, and the rest of the night steadily went downhill until Emmett received a phone call from Carlisle letting them know Edward was safe. Upon hearing this, Bella's relief was apparent to everyone.

Alice observed that Liam watched Bella's reactions with a thoughtful look on his face. Alice was certain that it was then that he figured it all out.

Alice brushed away the tracks of moisture from her cheeks with an unsteady hand. She felt as if she was being rent from the inside out. Did Liam really think it was easy for her to lie to her best friend, over and over again? Did he think it easy to watch Bella hurt knowing that she had the ability to make the pain go away or at least lessen its intensity? But therein lies the rub. Would the information she possessed make life easier or more difficult for Bella? Would telling her about her past bring comfort to her, or would it inflame an already precarious situation? She had no answers; she was stuck in a stalemate.

"I am her friend, and you have no right to insinuate otherwise," Alice retorted, wrapping her arms across her chest trying to keep her emotions inside. "You've known Bella all of, what? A week? What makes you such an authority on her? What gives you the right to be so damn condescending and judgmental?"

Liam exhaled sharply. When he spoke, his voice was deliberate and even. "I've _earned_ that right because I care about her, and I won't be a party to this."

Alice stiffened, and her eyes widened at the veiled threat hanging in the air above their heads like a flock of vultures waiting to descend on their prey, to pick its bones clean.

"What does that mean?"

Liam leaned across the table and stabbed the air between them with his index finger.

"It means I will not lie to her," he said, enunciating every word like he speaking to child.

Alice felt panic assail her. "You're going to tell her?" She was horrified. If Liam told Bella everything, Bella would crumble under the weight of his words. She would be an absolute emotional and mental mess. It could destroy all the progress she made over the past few months. "Do you have any idea what that'll do to her, especially now?"

Liam sighed, and shook his head. "No, I don't, and neither do you. Bella is not as fragile as you think. And for the record, no, I'm not going to tell her...yet. I'm going to give _you_ the opportunity to fix this." Alice looked relieved, but it was short-lived. "But, if Bella decides tomorrow that she wants to be with me, the deal is off. I'll tell her everything, because I will not build a relationship on a lie. She deserves better than that."

Liam stood up, then reached into his pocket and extracted a five dollar bill. He threw it down on the table between them. Alice shot him a furious and offended look.

"Coffee's on me," he said, before walking away.

*~*~*

He watched as Bella's new _boyfriend _stalked awayafter hethrew down what looked like money on the table. It was obvious to him that the two had been arguing. He could bet a million dollars that they were arguing about Bella.

It took him five seconds to realise that the "boyfriend" was walking in his direction. His first instinct was to avert his face, but then he remembered that the man would not recognise him. He had been following the man for the past two hours without being discovered.

He smiled when the cocky son-of-a bitch passed within a few inches of him and headed toward the elevators.

He grabbed his newspaper and quickly followed the man to the elevators and joined him to wait. Standing right next to him, he took the opportunity to study his enemy and soon-to-be victim. It was obvious that something was on the man's mind. The man shook his head often and exhaled loudly, looking frustrated.

He smiled. He wanted to tell him not to bother his pretty head anymore, because soon he would be dead, and the dead did not worry about anything. He guessed that was one of the good things about being dead - no stress.

The arrival of the elevator interrupted his thoughts, and the man quickly entered the empty car. He looked over his shoulder to make sure there was no one else approaching to enter the elevator.

"Excuse me," the "boyfriend" asked him, with one dark eyebrow raised. "Are you going down?"

Satisfied that they would be alone, he nodded and stepped inside. The doors closed behind him with a whisper. He smiled his thanks, and positioned himself against the back wall of the elevator, directly behind the man.

"Which floor?"

"Ground, please," he requested, slipping his hand into the pocket of his navy parka.

His fingers closed around the hand grip of the 9mm handgun, with the silencer attached. The metal felt cold against the heated skin of his palm, and he felt a thrill run through him. He was excited. His adrenaline levels had risen to a point where the endorphins were now charging through his system like some sort of venom. He enjoyed the kill, especially when his victim was completely unaware it was coming - like now. This one would be easy; a single shot to the back of the head and that was that. One problem solved.

He withdrew the weapon and enclosed it in the folds of the slightly crumpled daily edition of the Seattle Times. There was a perverted irony to this, and it made him grin. Tomorrow, this man's face would be splashed across the very same newspaper which would assist in his demise. He sunk his teeth in to his bottom lip to stop the hysterical bubble of laughter from escaping.

He was still smiling when he took aim at the unsuspecting man's head. His finger caressed the trigger like a lover, and then he applied the pressure.

Suddenly, a shrill sound erupted in the small confines of the elevator. The sound seemed to bounce off the shiny metal walls, and dropping his hand, he looked around to see where the sound was coming from. The man sighed, and extracted a silver cell phone from the hip pocket of his jeans. He pressed it to his ear.

"Hello?" his voice was reluctant at first, but then the tone changed. "Kathy, it's been a while. How are you?" He chuckled. "That bad, huh? No, I'm still on holiday. Ahh, no, I didn't go home. Actually, I'm in Seattle right now, why?"

The man was silent as he listened intently to the person on the opposite end of the line. He wondered who this Kathy person was, and why she was calling. Was "boyfriend" cheating on Bella? If so, then he really did deserve to die.

He glanced at the red digital numbers above the door which seemed to be moving faster than usual. He was running out of time. He was reluctant to shoot the man while he was on his call as it would alert the other person that something had happened. Especially if one shot did not achieve the desired results. However, it seemed as if he had no choice. He once again took aim.

"That's great news. When do you need me in New York?"

That stopped him in his tracks. He was leaving? Going to New York? This was not a good thing. If the man left and he didn't get the chance to kill him, he would feel cheated. _Hmmm, should I take the chance and take him out now or wait until he's finished? _And if he waited? Who's to say that when they reached the bottom someone wouldn't be there, someone who could alert the authorities of his misdeed?

The elevator dropped to the third floor as he wrestled with his decision. One part of him wanted to just get it over with and end the man's life right there and then, the other part - the part which made more sense - was advising caution. Live to fight another day. Decisions made in haste or under emotional duress, usually ended badly.

Two more floors to go before he ran out of time. Two more floors before the crucial, point of no return. Two more floors before he acted as God and either gave the man his life, or took it away in a blaze of violence. _ Get off the fucking phone!_

_What to do, what to do?_ he chanted inside his head in an almost maniacal rhythm. Under different circumstances, he would just take the shot, but at such close range, that option - like so many others, had been taken from him.

"That soon? No, no, nothing's wrong," But he could tell the man was lying. "Boyfriend's" agitation levels had risen and would have been unrecognisable to ordinary people, but he was not ordinary. His heightened senses made him extraordinary. It was one of the things that he enjoyed about his job. The ability to sense things and scope out situations always became more acute when he was about to make a kill. This made him extremely lethal when it came to his assignments. "I just need a few days to tie up some loose ends, that's all."

He wondered if Bella was one of the _loose ends _this man was talking about. If she was, what exactly did he intend to do to "tie" her up? A sudden, vivid image came to his mind of Bella completely naked, her hands and feet bound, lying on her stomach just waiting - for him. Waiting for him to take what he wanted, for as long as he wanted, and however he chose. She would be powerless to stop the invasion of her mind and body, powerless to stop the pain and humiliation. Of course, she would be gagged to muffle her screams, but he would know her pain, smell her fear.

The anticipation of all to come had a cataclysmic effect on his body, and he almost groaned out loud when the blood rushed from the rest of his body and into his groin. The sensation was like having ice-cold water thrown on you when you were in the throes of a fever, or better yet, an orgasm. He was so aroused that he felt he was about to explode. He felt the gun waver in his suddenly unsteady hand, and gripped it tighter.

The elevator dropped another floor. He quickly reined in his lascivious thoughts and forcibly took control over his body. He stared at the man in front of him. He was still on the phone.

"Yes, I know it won't wait for me, but..." he paused, ran a hand through his hair and sighed. "Okay, fine. I'll be there in a few days. I'll make the arrangements and get back to you as soon as I can. And, Kathy...thanks." _Finally_, he poised his gun toward the man once more and moved to pull the trigger. _Now._

Just as he made his choice, cursed fate stepped in and took the moment out of his hands. The elevator drew to a halt, and the doors opened faster than he was expecting. The man walked casually out the elevator, his life still very much intact. He stared after him, rage attacking every corner of his mind, until movement in the lobby called his attention. In the distance, two SPD officers were walking in the direction of the elevator. He quickly made sure the gun was still hidden within the folds of the newspaper and slipped it under his arm. He nodded to the police officers as he stepped into the lobby.

By the time he made it outside, the man had disappeared. He looked up at the heavens and muttered a curse. A couple walking past gave him a strange look and quickening their steps, disappeared into the mall.

The gun under his arm felt unusually heavy, and he had the urge to either throw it into the closest garbage can or shoot someone right there. Maybe the man and woman who had given him the look a few seconds ago. He felt his rationale slipping and drew in a few deep breaths to try to calm himself.

Suddenly, he heard a voice calling his name. It was a voice he had not heard in years. The sweet, angelic voice that calmed him when he was angry or in pain. It was the voice of the one that sung him to sleep all those years ago - his mother.

He looked around for the source of the voice, but other than people going about their business there was no one nearby. He ran his hand down his face and tried to convince himself that he was not losing his mind. His mind was playing tricks on him, right?

He waited for a few seconds more, and when he was greeted by absolute silence, he breathed a sigh of relief. He chuckled quietly. _It's the stress,_ he thought. _It has to be._ There was no way he could possibly have heard his mother's voice. She had been dead for over twenty years, and no amount of wishing would ever bring her back. She was the past, and so was that frightened little boy who had been shuffled from foster home to foster home, after witnessing her death. Both those people were dead, but his future awaited him. Bright, shiny and new. In this future, he could receive redemption, hope. He smiled. Bella was his future, and he was willing to destroy anything, and anyone, who stood in the way of that future.

* * *

"Whew," Angela Greene exhaled, depositing the empty platter into the sink behind Bella. "What a crowd. I swear it's doubled within the past ten minutes. Does Alice actually know all these people?"

Bella laughed, and shook her head as she arranged a variety of mini quiches on a silver serving platter. "Who knows? You know Alice; no one ever gets turned away. That's why she asked me to prepare extras."

Tonight was the official opening of Alice's café _DotCoffee_, and she decided to throw a party for a few friends. At least that's what she told Bella when she asked her and Esme to help prepare the hors d'oeuvres. However, a few friends turned into a lot of friends, and Bella was positive Alice did not know some of the people who were milling around.

Angela, Manager of Alice's other café in Vancouver, and her husband, Gavin, arrived a few hours before to assist with the party. From the moment Angela stepped through the door, she was a whirlwind of activity. She took control of the duty roster and quickly assigned people to their jobs. At present, it was all hands on deck, with Esme, Jasper, Gavin and Angela acting as serving staff, Alice as hostess and Bella as Head Chef, so to speak.

Angela blew a lock of dark hair streaked with purple out of her eyes. "That's Alice for you," she laughed. Bella caught a glimpse of a sliver ball anchored in the center of her tongue. "Well, I'm off to feed the masses."

Angela grabbed the finished platter from Bella's hands, and disappeared into the crush of bodies.

Bella looked around the room, her eyes unconsciously searching for one person - Edward. The action had become so automatic, that she did not even realise she was doing it. She sighed and turned to the sink, clutching its edges in a death-grip. She was trying so hard to move on with her life, to get him out of her mind, out of her heart. Whatever ground she managed to gain during the day, he took it away during the night, when he invaded her dreams. That was one place where she was never safe from him. Even if he wasn't playing a starring role in her dreams, he always remained just outside the periphery.

It reminded her of her memories. Recently, she was struck by a sensation that something important was trying to break through, but it remained just out of reach in her damaged brain. It felt as if she was walking through a dense fog where everything was familiar, but when she reached out to grasp something, it kept slipping away. She knew it was her mind's way of trying to repair itself. It was either that or she was finally losing her sanity.

Bella felt eyes boring into her back and turned to find Alice watching her from across the room with a worried look on her face. She gave her a reassuring smile, but Alice did not look convinced. Jasper, who stood beside Alice, whispered something in her ear. She nodded and Jasper, too, glanced at Bella from beneath his lashes. _They're talking about me_, she thought, and quickly turned away. She could not bear to see the pity and concern in their eyes.

Needing something to occupy herself, she began to wash the few dirty items she had placed in the sink earlier. The hustle and bustle from the street, and the blast of a car horn, broke through the hushed murmurs of conversations, as someone else entered the café. _More people_, she groaned. She glanced at her watch and gave a sigh of relief. It was eight o' clock, and Liam wasn't scheduled to arrive until eight-thirty. They had not seen each other since they parted ways outside _The Strand_ on Saturday night. Liam had been extremely busy since that night, but they continued to communicate by phone.

During the times they spoke, he seemed preoccupied; that worried her. It seemed that he was keeping something from her, but she was too afraid to ask. The doubts she tried so hard to ignore were once again coming to the forefront.

Bella wondered if he decided that their friendship was too problematic and was trying to let her down easy. The possibility filled her with dread. The entire Edward and Alice situation was enough to make any sane person run in the opposite direction. Edward's unusual behaviour and Alice's interference were hard for her to take, so she could just imagine how it felt to an outsider.

When Liam called earlier to suggest that they go out to dinner, she breathed a little easier. Maybe everything was just in her head. Maybe she was making a bigger deal out of the entire thing than necessary. But what if this meeting was to confirm her fears? Bella grabbed the damp cloth from its place on the towel rack and began to wipe away the excess water from the sink, all the while her mind on the "what ifs."

Suddenly, the hair on the back of Bella's neck stood on end, and her hand froze in mid-stroke. She knew, without having to turn around, that he had arrived. The bane of her existence; the man who she could not stop thinking about. She caught sight of him as she turned around. He stood beside Emmett just inside the doorway, but his eyes were trained on her. The corner of his mouth lifted into the heart-stopping, crooked smile that always melted her heart and brought her to her knees. She tried to swallow, but her mouth was suddenly as dry as a desert.

He said something to Emmett and then started in her direction. His eyes never broke contact with hers as he strode over to her. She took in the sight of him and felt as if she was a starving person being tempted with a four-course meal. Comparing him to food seemed oddly appropriate tonight. He looked absolutely yummy.

Gone were his work clothes. He must have gone home or changed his clothes at work. He dressed casually, in a brownish-black crewneck, long-sleeved shirt. The word **Affliction** was stamped across the upper chest, right above a crest consisting of an eagle, wings outstretched with a shield where its stomach should be. Dark blue distressed jeans and brown oxfords completed the look. His usual "sex hair" beckoned to her, and she felt her palm itch to run her fingers through the copper-coloured strands.

As he drew closer, his smile grew wider, and her heart beat increased in tempo. The poor thing beat so hard that she thought it would explode out of her chest. The wash cloth she was holding fell from her numb fingers onto the floor, but she did not acknowledge it. She was unable to look any place else but into Edward's eyes. A buzzing sound erupted in her ears. It was as if a hive of bees had taken up residence inside her head.

Bella drew in a deep breath and regretted it immediately. Of all the fragrances in the room, his unique smell was the one she plucked from the lot. He was wearing the same cologne as the day Alice had first visited her in the hospital. It was the same day he had sat on the floor with her, supporting her limp body and holding her hair back as she expelled her stomach contents into the toilet. The same day that she first become aware of him as more than a friend.

Bella's face burst into flames at the memory. A part of her was embarrassed as she remembered how he had seen her at one of her worse moments, but the other part remembered the desire she felt as his body had pressed against hers as they had sat on the cold tiles. That same desire was now eating its way through her chest.

"Bella," Edward's velvet voice caressed every syllable of her name as if it was something sinfully delicious. A myriad of goose bumps marched across her flesh, and she felt her hardened nipples brush painfully against the cotton confines of her bra. He leaned against the counter. "How's it going?" He looked around the room at the crowd. "Doesn't Alice ever do anything in moderation?"

Edward's tone was teasing, but her brain was in such a scrambled mess that she just stood there and stared at him in silence. As he tilted his head to a side, his smile disappeared. It was replaced by a worried look, causing his eyebrows to furrow.

"Bella, are you okay?" he asked, waving his hand in front her face. No response.

Bella looked completely out of it. She was staring at him like he was from another planet. Her skin was flushed, and her breathing was strained. All together, she looked like she was about to collapse. Edward quickly went around the counter, grabbed a glass and after filling it with water, pushed it into her hands. She stared at him and then at the glass in her hand.

"Bella, drink the water," Edward instructed, brushing his fingers against hers to get a response from her.

That was the wrong thing for him to do. She flinched at his touch, causing her to flex her fingers. The glass slipped out of her hands. He made a grab for it, but was too late. It smashed into the tiled floor with an explosive pop. The room immediately fell silent, and Alice hurried over to see what just happened. The rest of the Cullens immediately brought up the rear.

"Bella, are you okay?" Carlisle asked, pushing Edward aside and carefully avoiding the shards of glass on the floor. Bella was horrified by the sudden attention. It also snapped her out of whatever trance she had lapsed into. "Did you cut yourself?"

Bella looked down at the floor and groaned. What had she done? Everyone looked so worried, and it was all on account of her raging, out of control hormones. She frowned at Edward and saw the look of worry on his face transform to one of surprise at her venomous look. _Damn you to hell, Edward Cullen_, she grumbled silently.

"I'm fine," she mumbled, and bent to pick up one of the larger shards.

"No!" four voices yelled in unison. Bella jumped at the sudden sound and probably would have jabbed the glass into her palm, had a hand not closed around her wrist and halted its descent. Had she been in a dark room, unable to see the long fingers wrapped around her wrist, the scorched, tingling skin on her wrist would have told her whose hand it was. Edward "freaking" Cullen. This was all his fault.

A combination of anger and embarrassment hit her in equal quantities, and she yanked her hand away from his grasp. To allow him to continue touching her would only compound the situation.

"I'm fine," she protested when Emmett slipped his arm around her back, underneath her armpits and lifted her away from the scene of the accident. By now, most of the guests had lost interest and had gone back to their previous activities.

Bella didn't think it possible to be more embarrassed than she was right now. Of course, that was until she caught sight of Liam lounging against one of the stone columns, watching the entire thing. Her embarrassment meter shot through the roof.

He was watching Bella with a guarded expression on his face. His gaze lingered momentarily on Edward who was staring back at him, a challenge in his eyes, and then back to Bella. She felt guilty for some reason she could not fathom. It wasn't as if Liam had caught her having hot, steamy sex with Edward. Wait a minute, what was she saying? She and Liam were just friends; she did not owe him any explanations, and she most certainly had no reason to feel guilty.

Liam pushed himself away from his perch and came to her side. He took her hands in his and examined them carefully. She almost growled in frustration. Not him, too. She doubted that this was the first glass she had ever broken. It was no big deal, and she wished everyone would stop acting as if one of the shards had ricocheted off the ground and embedded itself into a vital part of her body. Yeesh!

From the corner of her eye, Bella saw Edward stiffen and take a step towards them. She saw Emmett place a restraining hand on his brother's shoulder and pull him in the opposite direction. For a few seconds, it seemed as if Edward would shrug off Emmett's hand, but Emmett whispered something to him. After that, he allowed himself to be led away. That struck Bella as strange. She surmised that Edward disliked Liam, but she still couldn't think why.

"Are you okay?" Liam asked, his gaze still on her hands. She was sure he was looking for a tell-tale trace of blood to confirm his theory that she had hurt herself.

"For the third time, I'm fine," she snapped, and immediately felt remorse at her harsh tone. It wasn't Liam's fault, and she had no right to take out her frustrations on him.

Bella looked up into his face and was surprised to see that he was smirking at her. He seemed to be enjoying a private joke of some sort. Bella folded her arms across her chest and gave him an impatient look. She resisted the urge to tap her foot, but just barely.

"Care to share?"

He shook his head and guffawed. "You're beautiful when you're angry. Has anyone ever told you that?"

Bella's jaw dropped, and Liam roared with laughter at her confounded expression. Alice slid up to Bella's side and gave them a curious look. Bella rolled her eyes and stuck her tongue out at Liam, who was still cracking up.

"Your friend is an idiot," Bella confirmed, trying hard not to smile. She had to admit, it was extremely difficult. At the mention of the word "friend," Bella saw an odd look pass between the two people. It vanished as quickly as it appeared, leaving tension in its wake.

"Am I missing something?" Bella asked, eyeing Alice suspiciously.

Both Liam and Alice looked at each other and shook their heads. Liam reached out and took one of Bella's hands in his. He squeezed it gently.

"The only thing we're going to miss is the ferry," he said, smiling down at her. "Are you ready?"

Bella looked at Alice for confirmation. Alice winked at her and pointed to the door with a nudge of her head.

"Go on, get out of here," Alice grinned, and gave Bella a hug. "Angela, Esme and I have everything under control." She placed her lips close to Bella's ear. "Thanks for everything, and behave yourself tonight." She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively, and Bella slapped her on the arm.

"Behave," Bella chided, turning to Liam. "Give me a minute to get my things."

*~*~*

Edward stood across the room and watched as Liam helped Bella into her coat, took her hand and exited the café. He wrapped his arm across Bella's shoulders and escorted her across the street, into the front seat of a black and silver Mustang.

Edward turned, and placing both hands on the wall in front him, hung his head in anguish. There was only so much a man could take, and by his calculation, he had reached his limit. He was tapped out, his reserves were gone. He felt his breath constrict painfully in his chest as he was forced to come face to face with reality. He had lost her. He finally succeeded in pushing her away, and he felt like he wanted to die.

He leaned heavily against the wall, all the while forcing his vocal chords not to express the aching, gut-wrenching pain he felt inside. He wanted to scream, he wanted to cry, but he couldn't. There was nothing left, he was hollow inside.

He felt a comforting hand on his shoulder and looked over to find Emmett watching him sadly. Emmett gave him a rueful smile, letting him know that he knew exactly what he was going through.

"It's going to work out, Bro," Emmett whispered, squeezing his shoulder. "Have a little faith."

"No! It's over," he muttered, and to his horror, the tears he had been holding inside came to the surface and spilled over. "The best man won."

*~*~*

Bella finished the last of her dessert and placed her fork on the plate. Liam took the chilled bottle of wine from the bucket and refilled her glass half-way. He topped up his, returned the bottle to the bucket and took a sip as the waiter quickly removed the dirty dishes and disappeared.

Bella watched Liam as he stared off into space, and she wondered when he was going to finally tell her what was on his mind all night long. She picked up that something was on his mind when he remained silent for most of the trip to the Eagle Harbor pier. She had not known him for very long, but it was long enough to know that something was amiss.

"You know," she began, running her index finger around the rim of her glass. "You're going to give yourself a headache if you don't talk about it."

Liam smiled and raised an eyebrow. "Are you always this observant or am I that transparent?"

Bella grinned. "Both. Occasionally I miss things, but this is pretty easy to see. You've been a million miles away for most of the night. So, what's up?" She placed her elbow on the table and cupped her hand around her neck.

Liam chuckled, then became serious. "Remember I told you about the G20 Summit and how I applied to be one of the journalists assigned to one of the Heads of States?" Bella nodded, remembering that particular conversation from during their outing at the park. "Well, the assignment came through. I've been assigned to the Prime Minister of Great Britain."

"That's great," Bella replied, smiling widely at Liam. His face was thoughtful. "Right?"

He shrugged and swirled the red wine in his glass with a twist of his wrist. "Yes...I guess." There was no enthusiasm in his voice.

Bella was puzzled by Liam's reaction to what she considered to be good news. This was something he wanted for a while, but now that he had it, he did not seem at all happy.

"Liam, what's wrong?" Bella asked, softly. "It's what you've worked so hard for. Other journalists must be out there kicking themselves at missing out on the opportunity."

Liam sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "I know. You're right, but..." he trailed off.

"But?" Bella prompted.

Liam took a mouthful of his wine and swallowed slowly. It was clear that he was stalling. "But, it's in Cannes, and I have to be there in less than a week."

It finally dawned on Bella what Liam's dilemma was. He was reluctant to leave. But still, it was his dream job. If he missed this he might never get the opportunity again. It made her sad that he would be leaving, but this wasn't about her; it was about him, his career. He was a free agent, there was nothing keeping him here...or was there? It suddenly hit her what Liam's real problem was. He was torn between taking this great assignment and leaving her behind.

"Oh," she whispered, staring into Liam's eyes. What she saw there confirmed her theory.

"Bella," Liam said, after a long silence between them. He leaned across the table. "I've got an idea, but I need you to think about it carefully before you decide. Can you do that?"

Bella looked perplexed, but nodded. "Sure. What is it?"

"Come with me."

Bella's eyes widened and her mouth fell open. "W-what?"

"Come with me," he repeated. "To France." He smiled, trying to ease some of the stress he knew his invitation had created. "I could use the company and a good photographer." He winked at her.

Bella sat back in her chair and felt the blood drain from her face. She was in total shock. This was the last thing she expected Liam to ask her. To keep in contact or maybe visit him, but not this. Definitely not this. The mad thing was, she was actually considering it. There was so much out there for her to see and experience. So much that she could do. Staying here in Washington was not going to bring her any closer to all the possibilities. With Liam, she could have all that, and she suspected, more. But was she ready to give up everything she had here? Was she willing to tear herself away from the one thing keeping her here?

Liam smiled gently. "A bit of a shock, eh?"

Bella nodded. "You can say that again," she breathed. "But why? Other than the reasons you mentioned, why would you even want me there?" She wondered why she was placing Liam into a situation where he would be forced to say what he felt and she would be forced to deal with it.

"You want the complete truth?" he asked, hesitantly. She nodded. Liam reached across the table and took her hand. "I don't want to lose you, Bella. I realise that I like you - a lot, but if I go to France, you'll be gone when I get back."

Bella swallowed at his confession. She stared into his earnest eyes and saw sincerity there.

"I'm not going anywhere," she whispered. "Where would I go?"

Liam sighed. "To Edward."

Bella's eyes grew large. "Edward? It's not like that between us," she mumbled, feeling her heart tear in two at her words.

"Isn't it?" Liam asked, one dark eyebrow raised. "Bella, you don't see what I, or everyone else sees, do you?" Bella looked confused. "When you and Edward are around each other you're like the Sun and he's like the Earth. You revolve around each other. It's amazing the pull you have to each other; it's like gravity."

Bella's smiled was ironic. "That's ridiculous, Liam,"

Liam shook his head. "No, it's not. It's obvious that you're in love with him. You might not say it, but the neon sign over your head screams it." Bella was tempted to look up to see if there really was a large, sign above her head, silently broadcasting her innermost feelings to the world. Liam continued. "And, he's in love with you, too."

Bella looked shocked. "No, he isn't! He doesn't feel that way,"

"Really? Who told you that?"

The words caught in her throat, as she remembered that night. The night Edward ripped her heart out and shattered her dreams. "He did," she whispered, looking down at the table as the burn of shame and pain followed.

Liam chuckled. "Then he's a liar." He sighed. "I don't know what happened between you two, but I know he loves you, and if I leave for France without you, I'll lose my chance."

Bella, still reeling from Liam's revelation that Edward was in love with her, grabbed the glass containing her wine and took a hasty sip, then a mouthful. None of this made sense, but damn it, a small part of her clung to the words in hope. Still, it didn't explain Liam's invitation.

"But why would you even want a chance with me knowing I was in love with someone else?" she asked, mystified.

"Because I know you could grow to love me, too," Liam replied, squeezing her hand gently. "I would just need to be patient. I know you like me, and given the chance and the right set of circumstances, it could turn to love." He smiled sadly. "But if I go, if I leave you here, there'll be no chance of that. Edward has a hold on your heart, and I think I've managed to capture a small part as well, but I can't compete from France. I'd lose."

"It's not a competition," she denied, shaking her head.

"Oh, yes it is, and he's fighting hard. You might not realise it, but he's not going to let you go," Liam smiled grimly. "I don't want to either, but how can I fight from five thousand miles away? It would be impossible."

Bella stared down at their linked hands and sighed. Why did life have to be so incredibly difficult? It always forced you to make hard choices, whether you want to or not? What if what Liam had told her was true? Did she actually have a chance with Edward? If it was true, why hadn't he told tell her himself instead of lying to her all this time? Why was it so hard for him to admit that he loved her?

And what if Liam was wrong? What if she stayed and learned that Edward really did not love her, what would happen then? She knew Liam was correct when he said she could fall in love with him, too. He was a wonderful person, and their spirits were tuned into each other's almost from the beginning. She had no doubts that she could grow to love him. If she didn't go with him now, would she be giving up a chance at happiness with someone who cared for her?

"I'm not making this easy for you, am I?" said Liam after a moment.

Bella gave a shaky laugh. "No, not really."

"I'm sorry," Liam replied. They both laughed at their blatantly honesty. It helped dispel the tense atmosphere between them. Liam let go of her hand and held his hands in the air in surrender. "I'll let it go...for now, but I need to know something,"

"What?"

"Does he know?" Liam asked, softly.

"Does he know what?" Bella gave him a confused look.

"Does he know that you're in love with him?"

Bella looked horrified. Her face turned a brilliant shade of crimson. "No! God no!"

"Don't you think you should tell him?" Bella gave him an incredulous look. Liam grinned. "Not that I'm on his side or anything."

"Isn't this a bit like one team telling their opponents about their secret play?" Bella asked, amused.

Liam waggled his finger at her. "Ahh, but if the first team manages to lull the second team into a false sense of security, and changes the secret play at the last minute, they can still win."

"You're ridiculous," Bella laughed.

Liam smiled, but his eyes were serious. "The truth is, if you never tell him... If you don't take the chance, and you go to France with me, you'll never know how it could have been. There will always be the elephant in the room, and eventually it will eat away at our relationship," he explained, quietly. "So, my suggestion is a bit self-serving, yes. But I'm not a saint. I'm not going to willingly hand over the woman I want to another man. But if that woman comes to me, I want her to do so because she wants only _me_, and not because she's afraid to go the other way. Understand?"

Bella nodded. "Yes,"

Liam allowed Bella to mull over his words for a little while. He gestured to the waiter to bring the bill, and after paying, stood and held out his hand to Bella.

"Let's go shall we? It's one a.m., and the last ferry leaves in forty-five minutes. If I miss that, I'll have to sleep at your place, and Edward might kill me in my sleep."

Bella snorted and took his out-stretched hand. "Hmm, that's one way to eliminate the competition."

*~*~*

Edward sat in the recliner deeply immersed in his sorrows, nursing a glass of scotch on the rocks, when the sound of an engine startled him into an upright position. He checked his watch and saw the time was 1:20 a.m. It had been four hours since he had seen Bella, and his imagination was running circles around his logical thinking. Where the hell had she been? Didn't she know that it was damn rude to make people worry like that? She had never been this late getting home before.

He placed the glass on the floor beside the bottle and made his way over to the window in the living room. He moved the curtain so that he could see outside and was immediately hit with a wave of anger by what he saw. Liam and Bella were walking up the walkway, holding hands. He hated it when Liam put his hands on her. It suddenly occurred to him that holding hands might not be the only thing they did tonight. His rage bubbled over.

Edward pressed his ear closer to the glass as he heard Bella's voice. He wasn't proud of the fact that he was skulking around like some sort of sick, perverted stalker, but he couldn't help himself.

*~*~*

Liam halted when they were a few feet away from the front door. The house was mostly shrouded in darkness with the exception of the light above the front door, and another one somewhere else inside. He knew Edward was probably home, and he suspected he knew they had arrived. Liam felt as if he was once again a teenager, bringing his girlfriend home to her disapproving father. The irony of the situation did not escape him.

"Want to come in for a few minutes?" Bella asked, turning to face him.

"Would love to, but I can't." He thought he saw a silhouette in one of the windows and smiled. _So, he is watching. Good_. "Don't want to be killed, remember?"

Bella laughed lightly, and as he stared into her beautiful eyes, all the sane reasons why he should leave seemed to vacate his head. He didn't want this night to end. He didn't want to let her walk away and enter the house where his rival waited. He didn't want to lose her. Bella hadn't said "no" to his invitation, but neither had she said "yes." He asked her to think about it, so he couldn't well expect her to make the decision to rip her life apart in a few minutes because he asked.

"Right, wouldn't want that on my conscience," she agreed, with a quick, playful nod.

The conversation faltered as they stared at each other in silence, each knowing that this was good-bye, but reluctant to say the actual words. A lock of her hair was snatched by the greedy fingers of the wind. Liam tucked the loose lock behind her ear.

Bella cleared her throat. The noise sounded harsh and amplified in the still night. "What time is the flight?" There was a catch in her voice.

Liam sighed. "Eleven tomorrow night. I'm taking the red-eye to New York. I'll be there for a couple of days working on my security clearance, meeting with the Prime Minister's envoy, and then it's off to France."

"Okay," she replied, feeling sad that he was leaving so soon.

"What about you? When are you going to tell him?" Liam asked, glancing at the window from the corner of his eye. "He deserves to know."

Bella huffed. "All right, I'll tell him as soon as I can," She gestured towards the house and made a move toward it. "Do you want me to do it now? I can wake him up and tell him."

Liam chuckled and gripped her hand, forcing her to stay put. "Tomorrow's quite fine, thank you very much."

He raised a hand and traced the outline of Bella's jaw and chin with his knuckles. She leaned into his touch and gave him a sad smile. He would miss her. He knew without a shadow of a doubt that this was the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. He knew that in fifty years he would feel the same way as he did now - like he was falling in love.

He knew that the minute he walked away she would be lost to him, but maybe, just maybe, that idiot inside would screw up and she would return to him. It didn't matter to him if he was second choice; he was willing to accept that. If it was fated for him to be in her life, then second or not, that's where he would be.

"Bella," his voice was a whisper. "I need to do something now, because I'm afraid when I return I might not be able to."

Bella's eyes flickered as she grasped the meaning of his words. She closed her eyes and felt the hand on her chin move to her neck and the distance between their bodies vanished as if it had never existed. Liam wrapped his other arm around her waist, keeping her pressed against the front of his body. Automatically, she placed her hands on his chest, as his lips came down on hers.

Liam's soft lips moved expertly against hers, and she curled her fingers into his shirt. She felt warmness radiate from their joined lips, to the roots of her hair. But before she could comprehend its meaning, he broke the contact.

A shudder ran through Liam's body as he leaned his forehead against hers. His breathing was fast, unsteady; so was hers. Liam's kiss reminded her of everything she might be giving up. It was sweet, tender and said so much more than his words could ever say.

"Wow!" He let out a shaky laugh. "That was well worth the shift in gravity. Not sure if I can get back to Seattle in one piece though."

"You're strong, you'll do just fine," she teased, still feeling a bit breathless.

"Hmmm," Liam mumbled, his forehead still against hers. "Promise me something..."

"If I can,"

"Even if you decide to stay and work things out with him, come see me off tomorrow night, okay?" He straightened so that he could stare into her eyes.

Bella smiled as a lump rose in her throat. "I'll be there, don't worry. I won't miss the flight."

Liam enveloped her in a tight hug, brushed his lips once more against hers and then released her. He walked backwards down the walk-way, keeping his eyes on her. He waved when he reached the car, climbed in and drove off.

Bella wrapped her arms around her body, trying to steady herself before she went inside to face another of her demons - Edward Cullen.

*~*~*

Edward stumbled back into the living room, and grabbed the glass of scotch and drank it in one gulp. He quickly poured another and dispatched of it as quickly as the first. The liquid set fire to his throat, but the angry tears forming in his eyes had nothing to do with the burn of the alcohol. Watching them kiss had been bad enough, but the snatches of conversation he caught were worse. It confirmed his worst fear - Bella was leaving him, for good.

*~*~*

Bella hooked her jacket up on the coat tree, slipped off her shoes and limped down the short hallway. The light in the kitchen was on. She assumed that either Alice or Edward had left it on for her as a safety precaution. She needed a bath and some alone time. She hoped sleep would follow quickly after. She needed to recover from Liam's departure and prepare herself to do battle with the devil himself. She smiled. "Devil" was such a strong word, but such an apt description. Edward Cullen was temptation and sin all rolled into one, and she was the mortal on the way down into Hell to meet him.

She was just about to pass the living room when a voice reached out to her from the darkness. She screamed and spun around, holding her chest as if to keep her heart firmly anchored in its housing. She felt a dull throb in her left shoulder after she collided with the wall.

"Have fun?" Edward asked, his voice flat and emotionless.

Bella reached out and flipped the switch beside her head. The room was immediately flooded with light. Edward was sitting in the recliner, watching her. The expression on his face made her pause. He looked positively livid. She noted that he was still dressed in his clothes from Alice's party. A bottle of scotch and a glass sat beside his left foot on the floor.

"Edward? What are you doing up?" she choked out, her hand flying to her throat.

"Waiting for you," he ground out. "You never answered the question. Did. You. Have. Fun?" He enunciated every word, as if speaking to a complete moron.

Edward's tone rankled Bella's nerves, and she stared at him in silence. Something was wrong here. This was a side of Edward she had never seen, and seeing it now, she knew she did not like it very much. Her eyes went to the bottle and she frowned. This was the second time in five days she had seen him drink.

"Are you drunk?" she demanded. A chill came over her when he began to laugh. It was an angry, unpleasant sound and it ticked her off. She exhaled and threw him a look of disdain. "You know what? Let me know when you're sober."

Bella saw something flash in Edward's green eyes a split second before he snapped his cap. He shot out of the chair and came at her with inhuman speed. The bottle of scotch spun into the wall in his wake as he descended upon her. It smashed into pieces, spilling onto the floor, filling the air with the scent of fermented barley.

Bella shrieked and took a step backwards into the hallway to avoid Edward, but it was too late. He grabbed her by the arms and pulled her roughly against him. He shoved his face directly into hers.

"I asked you a question, did you and Liam have fun?" he growled.

Bella felt her fear rise to choke her, but her anger quickly replaced her fear. _Who the hell does he think he is?_

"Yes, we did," she threw at him. "Now let me the hell go before I do something I regret."

Edward ignored her. "I'm glad you had a good time, because that's the last you're going to see of him. It's over. O-V-E-R!"

Bella stared at Edward in shock. Had he gone mad? Who was he to tell her who she could and could not see? To her knowledge, Phil Swan died when she was four, and she had not advertised for a replacement. Ergo, Edward was not her flipping dad. Bella's anger unleashed itself.

"Screw you, Edward!" she shouted. "I'll see who the hell I want, and YOU have no say in the matter." She tried to yank her arms out of his grasp, but his grip was too tight.

"Is that so?" he sneered, and before she could defend herself, his lips crashed down on hers.

This kiss was not like the one Liam had given to her earlier. This one was filled with anger and pent up rage. He was doing it to punish her, to exercise his authority, to show her who was boss. She struggled for a few seconds, but when she was forced to take a breath to try to fill her oxygen-deprived lungs, he slid his tongue past her teeth. Once she felt his tongue upon hers, her resistance crashed and burned like a 747 on a direct collision path with a brick wall.

Edward's kiss obliterated all logical thinking, and desire ripped through her like a forest fire, burning wild and untamed. The neuro-pathways in her brain shorted out, and she felt her eyes roll backwards into her head. His tongue caressed hers and she shivered, as he released one of her arms and brushed his thumb over the hardened peak of her left breast. She moaned, and immediately the kiss changed. Gone was the anger, the bitterness and the rage. The lips which had been punishing only moments before, were now coaxing. He was begging her to kiss him back, and unable to contain herself and her emotions, she obliged him. This was what she wanted for months; this was what she dreamed of.

Bella grabbed the back of Edward's head, threaded her fingers through the silken strands and pulled him closer. His hands slid down to her waist, past her hips and cupped her ass. He ground her against him. She felt his erection against her hip, and groaned when wetness pooled between her legs. He broke the kiss and attacked her jaw with his tongue and teeth. When he caught the soft vulnerable skin of her throat between his teeth and bit down, she jerked in his arms. Almost as an apology, he ran his tongue over the area, and then returned to her lips.

Then reality came crashing down on Bella. What was she doing? If she let him continue, there was no doubt that she and Edward were going to end up having sex right there and then. This was not how she wanted it to happen. They needed to talk first. He told her he didn't love her weeks ago and now this? Everything going on now was a complete contradiction. Why?

She froze when all the pieces clicked into place. It all made sense. This was all about Liam. This was about Edward's dislike for someone he didn't even know. This was about keeping her away from him. This was just another of Edward's control tactics.

"Edward, let me go," she ordered, going completely still in his arms.

It took a second or two for the fog of desire to lift from his brain, but when it did, he straightened slowly. Edward was still trying to control his rampant desire, but the expression on Bella's face slammed his control into place. His gaze took in her bruised lips, the tell-tale marks on her arms where he had gripped her, the slight discoloration on her neck where he had bitten her, and shame burned through him.

"Bella---" he beseeched, as she pulled away from him. She took a step backwards, and fled before he could find the words to apologise for hurting her, or to tell her that he loved her.


	26. Return To Me

**Welcome to another installment of A Second Chance at Love. My apologies if I have made you wait, but I promise, it will be worth it. **

**Special dedication and thanks go out to **_3c Cullen _**and**_ meadowgirl552_**, whose kinds words have made me feel 10 feet tall. **_fvprosey_**, thanks for your kind words and reviews – keep 'em coming LOL and **_Sammy73_** – don't worry about it, I make amends with this one**

**Thanks also go out to **_guccisassy_** (thanks for all those wonderful reviews), **_ao88_** (welcome) **_Lureetwilitejunki_**, **_Melee03_**, **_starlight90_**, **_Shellyb09_** (hope you enjoy this one, girlie), **_magan bagan_** (I know I can always count on you. Thanks), **_Sebe nefer_** (bonjour et bienvenue), **_O.N. Labbit_** (welcome to the story, and last but no means least, **_dreampills_** (you have been with me from the beginning. THANK YOU!!)**

**To all others who I have not mentioned by name, thank you. **

**Now comes the fun part, the WARNING. This chapter contains sexual content which might be deemed inappropriate for children under the age of 16. DO NOT read if you are under-aged. Now that I've done my part, let's continue.**

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**Now, on with the story…..**

* * *

**Chapter 25 - Return To Me**

Edward raised his hand to knock on the door to Bella's darkroom, then dropped it to his side for the fourth time in the past ten minutes. When he first arrived, the glaring red light warned him against entry, but it had since gone off, and he was still standing outside. A part of him wanted to turn around and leave, while the other part desperately wanted to talk to her.

Over the past two days, Bella avoided him as if he had the plague. The morning after the incident, he had gone to her room to apologise, but she wasn't having it. She refused to open the door after he knocked, and yelled at him to go away. He retreated with his tail between legs and decided to give her more time.

In truth, he was afraid to see the anger and fear in her eyes. He behaved horribly and compounded the situation by hurting her. He still remembered the bruises he inflicted upon her in his rather amorous display of affection. When she left with Alice for Seattle last night, he caught a glimpse of her wearing a scarf around her neck. He knew it was to hide the bruise from Alice's quick eyes. Since Alice hadn't come after him with any sharp objects, he knew that Bella had not told her what had occurred. His important body parts would remain intact - for now.

Edward placed his palm against the smooth wood of the door and inhaled deeply. He could do this. The odds were in his favor. He would knock on the door, say his piece and then leave. There was only one exit out of the room and he was pretty sure that she did not want to have to squeeze past him. That would involve touching; he was sure that was the last thing she wanted to do where he was concerned. She would have no choice but to hear what he had to say.

Feeling better about his decision and odds of success, he curled his hand into a fist and rapped on the door. He heard a crash, a muted curse and then silence. The silence stretched on, and Edward imagined Bella standing on the opposite side of the door, hoping that he would go away if she ignored him long enough. Well, she could hope all she wanted, because he was not budging until he spoke with her. He knocked again, this time with a little more force. There was rustling of papers, silence and then her voice bid him to enter.

Edward turned the knob, and to his surprise it opened, unhindered. If he had known that it was unlocked, he would have saved himself some grief and gone in much earlier.

Bella was sitting on a stool, her back to the door with her laptop opened on one of the counters she used as a work desk. He looked around the room and saw that she had changed things around since he was last there. She had rearranged various pieces of equipment, and the chemicals she used were shelved and labeled according to process. A stack of sepia toned photos sat on the desk beside her on the left, while another set of colour prints were strewn across her keyboard.

She glanced at him over her shoulder, but then quickly directed her attention back to the screen. Edward knew she was feigning nonchalance because as relaxed as she appeared to be, the stiff line of her back screamed tension.

"How can I help you?" she asked, her voice cold and impersonal.

Edward closed the door behind him and leaned against it. He felt disappointed by her cool greeting, but what did he really expect? Did he really think she would welcome him with open arms? He deserved it. Actually, he deserved a lot more for his behaviour that night.

"There's a storm coming," he began, continuing to stare at her back. "According to the Weather Channel, it should hit us sometime early tomorrow morning. I'm going to go over to my parents and help them sort themselves out. I'm also taking mom to the supermarket to stock up on some items. Do you want to come along?"

Bella went stock-still at his invitation. It was the last thing she expected him to say to her. After his visit to her room two days ago, she expected him to be filled with apologies and explanations about his behaviour. A supermarket run was on the bottom of her list of "things to talk about."

"No, thank you," she said quietly. "I'm busy right now." It was a not so subtle hint to let him know he was bothering her.

"Okay, do you need anything?" Edward asked, trying once more to break the ice which flowed between them like a glacier.

"Condoms," she muttered, chewing the inside of her cheek. She squeezed her eyes shut and hoped that he had not heard her. She had given a knee-jerk response to his question, and it was not her intention to say the word out loud.

Edward drew in a deep breath. "E-excuse me?" he choked, confirming that he had heard her.

"Nothing, I'm fine," she said quickly, hoping that he would leave. She was still mad at him, but while her brain was aware of that fact, her body was staging a first class mutiny. It wanted Edward badly.

Bella unwillingly went over the events of that night over and over again. In the end, she came to two possible conclusions. One, Liam's theory was correct, and Edward had stronger feelings for her than he admitted. Or two, he was a complete jerk who liked to molest women. Every instinct inside told her that her first theory was the right one, but she was still hesitant to believe it. They had been together for months, and not once did he say that he saw her as anything other than a friend. Actually, he tried to drill that fact into her brain time and time again. He would have to forgive her for being slow to jump on the "Edward wants Bella," bandwagon.

Unconsciously, she raised her hand to her throat and touched the area where he left his mark on her skin. A shiver went through her at the thought of him placing his personal brand on her. It would be the type of mark which proclaimed loudly that she belonged to him; she was his property and thus off limits to anyone.

She placed her hand on her lower stomach and massaged the area to ease the deep, throbbing ache centered in her womb. It usually happened whenever she thought of Edward, but after that kiss, it became a permanent condition. It was almost as if her body was preparing itself for him. She frowned, and realising he was still standing there, turned and fixed him with a hard look.

"Is there something else you wanted?" she asked, her voice meant to be impatient. However, to her ears, the bite had gone out of her tone. _Frigging, stupid hormones_, she ranted silently.

Edward cleared his throat, and she knew what was coming next. "Uh, yeah. About the other night," he paused, expecting her to cut him off. She didn't. "I want to apologise for the way I behaved. I had no right to hurt you like that. I was a bit drunk and angry, but still, that doesn't excuse my behaviour."

"No, it doesn't," Bella retorted, the hand against her stomach curled into a fist. "Civilised conversation is usually the way to go."

Edward looked embarrassed, but then a resolved look came over his face. "You're right, but I'm just apologising for the bruises, not anything else."

Bella narrowed her eyes at him. "What sort of apology is that? You're sorry for some of it, but not all of it?"

"Yes," he said firmly. "I'm not sorry for kissing you or touching you. I'm just sorry I didn't do it earlier."

Just as Bella's mouth fell open, Edward turned, opened the door and disappeared through it. How long she stood that way was anyone's guess, but the sound of Edward's vehicle reversing out of the garage galvanised her into action. By the time she got out into the garage, the automatic door was closing and she heard the screech of tires as Edward drove off.

"That's not fair," she yelled after him. Her voice echoed off the walls and shelves of the empty room. "You can't just say something like that and leave. Damn it!"

She stared at the door, and sighed in defeat. She returned to the darkroom and tried to decide what to do next, as her mind was no longer on her project. Her full focus was now on Edward and his parting words. What did he mean? Was that his convoluted way of admitting his feelings for her? If so, it was a really poor attempt.

Bella wished Alice was there to bounce her theory off of, but she was working at the café until she could hire a supervisor and a few other staff members. Now with this storm coming, who knew when Alice would be home? It might be safer for her to remain in the city—maybe stay with Jasper.

Bella rubbed the heel of her hand across her eyes. She was exhausted and her leg ached. She hadn't been sleeping well recently. She was barely functioning under the strain of the pain of her leg, brooding over Edward, and the anxiety over not accepting Liam's invitation. Jasper had increased the intensity of their sessions, and she was plagued by more painful cramps. The pain was no longer restricted to mornings and came whenever it felt like. It became so unbearable that Carlisle decided to give her a painkiller that had to be injected into her hip. Bella hated needles and tried to forget them by hiding them away in the medicine cabinet in her bathroom. She tried to suffer through her pain to avoid the injection, took the oral medication and hoped for the best. So far it had been enough.

She yawned as she gathered the colour prints into a stack, shoved them into a drawer and turned off her laptop. She glanced at her watch and saw it was just after noon. Bella figured she would take a nap and gets some rest while Edward was gone. They would definitely talk when he got back. She needed to get things out into the open. She had a promise to keep, after all.

When she and Alice went to the airport to see Liam off, he reminded her of her promise. He also told her that he secretly hoped he was wrong about Edward because then it would make things easier for him. He then kissed her, hugged Alice and went through the departure gate.

By the time she made it upstairs, the ache in her calf had increased and a headache followed closely behind. She filled a glass with water from the bathroom and quickly swallowed the tablet. She then stripped down to her panties and matching camisole top. A quick glance out the window as she slipped between the cool, cotton sheets confirmed Edward's earlier prediction. The sky was now a steel gray colour and the tops of the trees were barely moving. It seemed like the earth was waiting with bated breath for Mother Nature to unleash her wrath.

The last conscious thoughts she had before sleep pulled her under were Edward's safe return and how much she would miss Liam now that he was gone.

*~*~*

Edward dashed up the stairs and headed for his bedroom. As he passed Bella's door, he wondered if she was still asleep. He arrived home about an hour earlier, and after checking on Bella's location, he made preparations for the coming storm. It was still early evening, but it looked closer to twilight. As he placed the last shutter on the window, the heavens split open and the rain began to fall. He had been soaked, his T-shirt sticking uncomfortably to his body, his jeans weighing an extra pound or two from all the water they now contained. He quickly shed his wet clothes and headed for the shower.

Feeling more like a human instead of a drowned rat, he slipped on a pair of black track pants and began to dry his hair. Outside was eerily quiet with the exception of the rain, which was now decreasing to a slight drizzle. He knew that this was to be a brief reprieve. The weather would grow in intensity and once more unleash another attack. He was accustomed to these storms, having lived in Washington for all his life. With the exception of his brief stay in Virginia training with the Agency, he had always lived here. He didn't want to be anywhere else.

Edward had just hung the towel on the rack in the bathroom when he heard a muffled thump, and what he thought was a scream. Knowing it was Bella gave him purpose, as he shot out of the room and down the hallway. He threw open the door and found the rumpled bed empty.

"Bella," he yelled. "Where are you?"

A whimper came from the other side of the bed, and when he got there, the sight made his blood run cold. Bella was lying on the floor, in a fetal position. She gripped her leg as tears streamed down her cheeks. Her face was chalk-white, and she bit down on her lip to keep the sound in. He quickly scooped her up in his arms and placed her on the bed.

"Bella, can you talk?" he demanded, rubbing his hand over her calf. The spot was rock hard and warm to the touch. Her body was taut as she gripped the sheets in her fists. Whimpers of pain issued past her lips. "Is it a cramp?"

Bella gave a slight nod, but seemed unable to force the words past her lips. Beads of sweat popped out on her brow as she tried to contain the pain. Suddenly, her body spasmed and she screamed in agony. The sound sent fear racing up Edward's spine and he stood up. He needed to do something, but what? Jasper.

"I'll be right back," he promised, and quickly left the room.

He returned a few seconds later, his fingers furiously searching through the address book of his cell phone. Bella was now lying on her side, her back to him, clutching her leg. He found the number and dialed it. As it rang, he prayed Jasper would answer. If he did not, he had no other recourse. His father was in surgery and would have his phone turned off or in his office on silent. And Bella was in no condition to tell him what to do.

As the phone rang, Edward paced back and forth, his fingers running furiously through his still damp hair. On the fifth ring, Jasper finally answered. He breathed a sigh of relief.

"Hey, Edward," Jasper's drawl came over the line. "What's up?"

Edward could hear the sound of an espresso machine in the background. He was sure Jasper was with Alice at the café. The couple had become almost inseparable.

"Jasper, there's something wrong with Bella," he said urgently. "I think she's having a cramp, but I've never seen one this bad." As he stared at Bella's back, a lump rose in his throat. She was in so much pain that he doubted she knew he was in the room.

There was a bit of rustling and then the background noise faded away. There was the sound of a door closing.

"Tell me," Jasper demanded. "When did it begin?"

Edward groaned. "I'm not sure. I got here about five minutes ago. I think she fell off the bed."

"Shit! Is she hurt?"

"Other than the cramp, I-I don't think so," Edward said, sitting beside Bella on the bed. She was still clutching her leg, but the sounds coming from her increased in pitch and intensity. It was getting worse.

"Okay, Edward listen to me," Jasper instructed, his voice all firm and business-like. "Carlisle gave Bella a prescription for some medication. I need you to get that. When you have it, I'll tell you how to administer it."

Edward went around to the opposite side of the bed. Bella's eyes were closed, but they flew open when he touched her damp cheek. Her eyes were glassy and her body was drenched in sweat.

"Baby," he called to her. "Where's the medication Dad gave to you?" Bella stared at him as if barely comprehending his meaning. "Baby, please, where's the medicine Carlisle gave you?"

At the sound of Carlisle's name, Bella's eyes went towards the bathroom. Edward sprinted into the bathroom, wrenched open the door of the wall unit and began to rummage through the items he found there. A box of tampons, a tube of lipstick and a bottle of face moisturiser fell into the sink, but he barely noticed.

"Got it," Edward said triumphantly, grabbing the bottle and one of the syringes from the shelf. He wondered what his father was thinking, prescribing an injection type pain killer for Bella. She was terrified of needles. There was about as much chance of her taking it as him winning a million dollars. Only God knew how many times she had been in pain but refused to use it.

"Okay, now I need to know something," Jasper's voice held a note of relief.

"What?" Edward asked, sitting beside Bella once again.

"What is she wearing?"

Edward glanced at Bella's curled body. "She's wearing a pair of black and red panties, you know the type that look like little shorts, and a matching top. It has lace on the bottom and on the legs,"

There was silence on the other end of the line and Edward swore he heard Jasper snicker. It was immediately covered by a cough.

"Um, great visual, Edward, but the basics are just fine," Jasper said, laughter in his voice. He was suddenly serious again. "Now listen to me, you have to do this just right, and quickly. Every second you delay that muscle is dying from lack of oxygen."

"Okay, okay," Edward said, tearing open the package containing the needle with his teeth. He discarded the needle's protective cap and stuck its end into the top of the bottle. He measured the amount Jasper instructed and placed the bottle on the ground. "Done. Now what?"

"Now, you have to stick the needle into the fleshiest part of her hip, between the hip bone and her buttock," Jasper said. There was noise again in the background on Jasper's end and he seemed to be whispering something to someone. "Pinch the skin before you do it though, I don't want you hitting any bones with that thing."

Bella's eyes were once again open, but this time she was staring at the needle, fear mirrored in her eyes. She gave a quick shake of her head and stared at him, silently begging him to put it away.

"I'm sorry, baby, but I have to," he pleaded, pulling the side of her panty down below her hip. He pinched the skin where Jasper told him to, "I'm sorry." Then, he jabbed the needle into her flesh. Bella cried out, but stayed relatively still as he pushed the plunger down and the medication flowed into her body. A small bead of blood appeared at the injection site, and he brushed it away with his thumb.

"Are you finished?" Jasper asked, impatiently. Edward heard Alice's voice in the background demanding to speak with him. "Yeesh! In a minute, Al."

Edward capped the needle and smoothed Bella's hair away from her forehead. She was crying silently now. The fact that he had caused her more pain made him feel like a monster.

"Yes," he whispered. "How long will it take to work?"

"About five minutes. If she goes to sleep try not to worry about it. The drug is a mild sedative as well," Jasper explained. "But I would still keep an eye on her for the next couple of hours."

"Okay,"

Bella's hand slackened from around her leg and her breathing eased. The medication had begun to take effect. Edward placed his hand on her leg and was relieved that it felt softer than before.

"Alice wants to talk to you. When the storm is over I'll come over to see how she's doing." Jasper promised.

"Thanks, Jazz." Edward whispered, his eyes on Bella.

By the time Edward finished speaking with Alice, Bella was no longer curled up, but had settled into a more comfortable position. She was now lying on her right side, watching him. He smiled at her.

"How are you feeling?"

"Better," Bella's voice sounded hoarse, but sleepy. "Thank you." She yawned, and her eyes fluttered close.

"I'll go, and let you get some rest," he offered, sliding off the bed, but a hand on his arm halted his departure. Bella's eyes were barely open, but she was staring directly at him.

"Don't go," she pleaded, tightening her hold on his arm. "Please."

Edward nodded and slid into the bed beside her. Bella immediately curled up against him and rested her cheek on his chest. She sighed contentedly when his arm went around her and drew her closer to him.

"This is nice," she murmured, her voice slurred. "Real nice."

Edward closed his eyes and swallowed. "Yes, it is."

*~*~*

A flash of lightning and a rumble of thunder pulled Bella from the depths of her slumber. For a brief moment she had no idea where she was. Then everything came flooding back to her. She was in Washington, in Edward's house, with him in her bed. What? She shifted her head to ensure her theory was sound. The dim light from the bedside lamp illuminated the handsome planes of her bedmate's face. Edward lay beside her, his left arm wrapped securely around her body, asleep. His mouth was slightly agape as he breathed in and out, and he looked absolutely divine in his slumber. Before she could stop herself, she reached up and followed the curve of his left eyebrow with the tip of her finger. When he remained still, her curious finger traced the contour of his nose and then his lips. He sighed and pulled her closer to him.

She stood still, not wanting to give up the chance to study him without his knowledge. After a few seconds, she raised herself slowly up on her elbow and took in the wondrous sight before her. The view was even better close up.

Her greedy gaze took in the smooth, contours of his bare chest, then moved to his flat, well-defined stomach. A line of copper-coloured hair began at his navel and travelled a downward trail, disappearing into the waistband of his pants. Her fingers itched to follow the trail to its end. Bella gently traced his collar bone, and moved her finger down until she came to a scar just above his heart. It was the only imperfection that marred his otherwise perfect chest. Her hand froze when she realised what it was. This was the evidence that Edward had almost died; this was where the cold metal of a bullet had pierced his body, almost taking him away from her. Without thinking, she leaned down and brushed her lips across the scar. His skin was soft and warm beneath her lips, and for some reason, emotion came rushing to the surface and the dam of tears burst and overflowed.

As her body shook from the force of her emotions, she continued to kiss the scar and the surrounding skin. Her lips then moved upwards, and brushed against his collar bone and then his jaw. Edward moaned, and tightened his hold on her waist. Bella froze, her lips a hair's breath away from his. She was torn. She wanted to kiss him, but if she did and he awoke? How would she explain seducing him in his sleep?

Her eyes again went to the scar and a small sob escaped her lips. She covered her mouth to contain the sound. The thought of not having him or being with him was too much for her to comprehend. She tried to imagine her life without him in it, the absence of her Earth. She couldn't. It was impossible. Liam was right; Edward was the reason for her existence. They were a singularity, part of the whole. Nothing made sense without him. Their brief period of separation proved that beyond a shadow of a doubt.

Bella inhaled, trying to keep her emotions in check until she could put some distance between them. The last thing she wanted was for him to wake up and find her blubbering like some teenager with a severe case of PMS. She gently moved Edward's hand from her waist and slid off the bed. He sighed and muttered her name.

She placed her leg down, and as she limped towards the bathroom, she stripped her clothing away from her body, piece by piece. She needed peace, she needed solitude, she needed a place where she could cry and accept the idea that their lives were hopelessly entwined.

*~*~*

Edward was dreaming. There was no other explanation. What was happening was the stuff fantasies were made of. He was lying in bed with Bella. She was kissing him with an urgency that set off a few alarm bells in the back of his head, but this being a dream, he paid little attention. He just wanted to continue to feel her lips on his skin. He groaned as she kissed his jaw and drew closer to his lips. _This is heaven,_ he thought.

Suddenly, the scene changed and a dark, angry thundercloud appeared over the bed. There was a rumble of thunder, the cloud split open and a torrent of warm, salty rain fell on them. Salty?

Edward's eyes flew open. Movement on the left side of the bed caught his attention - Bella. She was trying to get off the bed as quietly as possible, but there was something off about her. Something warned him against alerting her to the fact that he was awake, and he closed his eyes, feigning sleep. He watched her from under his lashes, and almost had a stroke when she drew the top over her head and dropped it on the floor. Her panties followed and by the time she made it to the bathroom, she was completely naked. She entered the room and closed the door quietly behind her.

He laid there, his mind replaying the event over and over again, like a scene on the loop cycle. He was on his tenth revolution when he heard a strangled sob coming from the bathroom. Fearing that Bella was again in pain, he shot off the bed and made his way towards the bathroom. Not bothering to knock, he opened the door and stepped inside.

"Bella..." The words caught in his throat at the sight which greeted him.

Bella was standing in the shower, her naked body visible through the glass. She was leaning against the glass-tiled wall with her head down. Water streamed from her hair and down her body in tiny rivulets. Her shoulders shook from the force of her tears. The opening of the door made her raise her head, and her eyes collided with his. For a moment, time stood still and the universe held its breath as they continued to stare into each other's eyes. Then it happened. He was there, inside the shower with her. He couldn't even remember walking the short distance from the door to the shower, he just remembered opening the door and stepping inside.

Bella stared at him, her eyes huge, her hands folded into fists. She was unnaturally still, but then something flashed in her eyes and she flew at him. Her arms went around his neck, and before he knew it, her lips were on his, and she was kissing him as if her life depended on it.

He stumbled backwards under the onslaught, but managed to shift position at the last moment so that his back hit the wall instead of the glass. His arms went around Bella's wet body, keeping her against him. The hardened peaks of her nipples rubbed against his chest and all reason fled from his brain. Awareness bombarded every cell of his body as her tongue lay claim to his mouth. He groaned.

Just when he thought his chest would explode, she broke the contact. However, his relief was short-lived. Bella drew her lips across his chest and flicked one of his nipples with the tip of her tongue. The newly captured breath whooshed out of his lungs in a hiss. Bella's tongue drew a heated trail up to his collar bone, and as she claimed his lips once more, her hand made its way down to the waistband of his pants.

Barely finding the strength to think straight, Edward grabbed her shoulders and tried to put some distance between them. She gave a small, frustrated mew of displeasure.

"Bella," he said breathlessly. "Slow down." She fought him with a strength that surprised him. "Wait a minute."

Bella shook her head, grabbed his hand and placed it squarely over her right breast. "No! I won't slow down, and I won't wait. There's been too much waiting, too much everything. It ends now."

Bella's next act sealed his fate. She slid her hand past the barrier of his pants, and wrapped her fingers around the hard length of him. His legs almost gave out from under him as she ran her hand from the base to the tip in one, slow agonizing stroke. The mere touch of her hand made him feel as if he was ready to explode.

A low growl ripped from his throat as he took possession of her lips and control of the kiss. All reason fled from his mind as his higher brain functions were replaced by the burning passion he felt for the woman in his arms.

Bella whimpered as Edward took one hardened nipple between his fingers and tugged. The sensation sent a flash of sweet, burning fire down her stomach and into her core. Edward shifted positions and the fingers on her nipple were replaced by his mouth. She arched her back as his tongue swirled around the sensitive nub.

She was on fire. There wasn't an inch of her body that remained unscathed by the inferno. As Edward's torture extended to her other breast, she threaded her fingers through his hair and pulled him closer. His teeth latched on to her nipple and tugged in a not so gentle rhythm. Bella's legs suddenly became weak, and had Edward not been holding her up, she would have fallen.

Bella felt Edward's hands slide down her slick back and settle on the twin hemispheres of her ass. Before she knew it, he had hooked her right knee into the crook of his arm and lifted her. Her arms went around his neck as he settled her over his hips. She anchored her legs around his buttocks and this brought the junction of her thighs flush against the hardness in his pants.

Edward's lips trailed across her shoulder, up her neck and stopped right before he met her lips. His breathing was ragged as he stared directly into her eyes. The usual emerald of his had deepened to an incredible shade of jade, and in them she saw the last vestiges of his self-control wither and die.

"Tell me," he said gruffly. "Tell me what you want."

But he never gave her the opportunity to answer. He turned her around so that now she was the prisoner, her back against the wall. His hand slid under her ass and she felt his fingers gently probe the delicate folds between her legs. She cried out when he found her hot, wet entrance and slipped his finger inside. He slid his finger out slowly and then quickly back inside the warm, liquid depths of her body. His lips fastened onto her neck and he ran his tongue over the mark he left there days before. She shivered and moaned when she felt his teeth on her overly sensitive skin. Her entire body became one raw nerve, with each touch magnified a thousand times.

"Tell me what you want," he demanded, slipping another finger inside her body and increasing the tempo of his thrusts.

Bella sobbed as she tried to get the words out, but the sensations being caused by his fingers were wreaking havoc with her ability to think and communicate. She bit her lip as she felt the first spirals of her mounting desire snap.

Edward brought his lips against her ear, and touched the delicate shell with the tip of his tongue. Bella whimpered. "Tell me or I'll stop," he threatened, slowing the rhythm of his fingers.

He knew he was bluffing. There was absolutely no way he could stop now. His self-control had evaporated like a snow-cone in the height of summer from the moment her fingers had wrapped around him. If this act was going to send him to Hell, then his bags were packed and he was ready to go.

Bella, thinking Edward was about to stop his sweet torture, forced her tongue to form the words she repeated as a silent chant inside her head. She was shaking so hard that she thought she would come apart.

"You," she moaned, shaking her head from side to side. "I want you. Please, Edward!"

Edward withdrew his fingers from the cocoon of Bella's body and she cried out in disappointment. He used his free hand to tug his pants down his hips and kicked them to a side. His lips came crashing down on Bella's as he slid his fingers home again. Her body gave a little jerk at the sudden intrusion. A few more strokes and Bella was once again sobbing in his arms. He felt her body begin to tighten around his fingers and knew she was approaching the peak of her desire. He smiled. It was time. He flicked the tiny nub of her clit with the pad of his thumb and Bella came apart in his arms.

Bella's world exploded around her in one violent rush of sensation. She dug her fingers into his shoulders as she felt her body being battered relentlessly by the waves of her orgasm, and her head fell back against the tiles. The feeling seemed never-ending as Edward continued to stroke his fingers in and out of her body, relentless in his quest to give her pleasure.

Bella was still in the throes of her orgasm when Edward raised her body into the air once more and sank himself home, between her quivering walls. He groaned when her hot, tight passage enveloped him and held him its willing prisoner.

The sudden, unexpected intrusion of Edward entering her body brought about another explosive climax, and Bella screamed his name as her body tightened and shattered around him. Bella reached out blindly, needing something other than Edward to support her as her back slammed into the wall under the onslaught of his attack. Her hand came in contact with one of the metal handrails and she held on with what little strength she had.

Then it began; the rhythm as old as time. Bella moaned as Edward's thrusts propelled her back against the cool tiles, time and time again. She cried out as the intense sensations emanating from their joined bodies sent her nervous system into a tailspin.

Edward felt as if he was dying, but it was a sweet, victorious death. It was the death you welcomed after fighting and winning that one battle you, as a warrior, had been bred for. It was your purpose; your reason for being. Bella was that purpose. She was his reason for being.

The joining of their bodies clicked something into place. They fit together like two pieces of a puzzle. Neither could exist alone if the picture was to be complete. He wondered how he had survived this long, being only half alive? Edward shoved his face into Bella's neck so that she would not see his tears. He was home.

For the first time in four years, he felt truly complete, content. His union with Bella repaired the damage to the tattered, broken thing that had been his soul.

He looked at Bella and saw her with new eyes. All the emotions he had been holding inside for the past four years came to the surface in one, uncontrollable rush. He captured her lips and kissed her with all the love he had in him. Bella responded to his desperate kiss with one of her own.

Each of Edward's smooth, even strokes brought Bella closer to her peak. She wasn't sure how much longer she could hold on before she fell off the edge and went hurdling into the abyss. She felt her body tighten in anticipation, but she fought it. She did not want this to end. She didn't want to be separated from Edward. She clenched her legs and drew him even closer into her core.

Edward groaned when he felt Bella's body clench around him. He knew she was close, so close, but he was closer. He could see that Bella was fighting her final release and he wasn't going to let her. They would do it together. There would be no more doing things as separate entities; they were a part of each other, never to be separated again.

"Together," he whispered. "Come on, baby. Let it go. Come with me."

Edward's words were like a trigger in Bella's brain. She let go - mentally and physically, and came explosively. Her screams reverberated off the walls of the bathroom as her brain was flooded with new images that consumed her.

She caught a glimpse of her and Edward holding hands walking down a hallway, surrounded by other people and them snuggling next to each other on the swing on the back porch. But the most important memory that flashed through her brain, just before it became overloaded and threw her back into the fog, was of Edward dressed in a tuxedo, standing at the end of an aisle with Emmett beside him. Before the curtain came down and once again shut her past away from her, she saw him smile at the person coming towards him and knew beyond a shadow of a doubt, that it was her.

Bella's scream was all it took to push Edward to the edge and hurl him into sweet oblivion. The ferocity of his release took him by surprise. Bella's chest heaved against his as she tried to catch her breath, and he could feel the rhythms of their quickly beating hearts become one.

Bella felt Edward stiffen, cry out her name and bury his face into her neck. Overcome with emotion, she collapsed against Edward's chest and began to sob as if her heart would break. It had taken the act of them making love to finally bring a crucial piece of information to the surface. At one point in time, she had been married...to Edward.

*~*~*

Edward lay beside Bella and stared up at the ceiling. The room was pitch black, the power having gone out a couple of hours before. A flash of lightning cut through the inky darkness and illuminated the features of the woman beside him. She let out a gentle snore, and Edward grinned.

He remembered telling Bella once that she snored like a freight train. She denied it vehemently and challenged him to prove her wrong. The very next night, he had his proof. While she slept, he hit the _record_ button on his cell phone. The following morning, he hooked it up to the sound system and blasted it throughout the house. Needless to say, she had not been amused, but at least he won the bet. The down side to his victory, however, was no sex for a week. Thinking back, the need to prove himself right was not worth that sort of punishment.

Edward kissed the top of Bella's head and drew her closer to him. With her bare leg wrapped around his lower body and her breast resting against his chest, he felt himself grow hard again. Wondering if everything that happened in the past few hours was a dream, he closed his eyes and held his breath. He opened one eye and squinted down at the top of Bella's head. She was still there; it was real.

He sighed. As the euphoria had worn off earlier, he began to wonder what this would mean for them? Were they a couple once again or would they continue to lead separate lives joined by location only? Would Bella wake up and regret what had happened? Would the guilt now eating away at him ever go away?

Guilt. A small word with a big meaning and even bigger emotions tied to it. Guilt would not be the feeling that most people in his position would be experiencing right about now. Elation, satisfaction and contentment, maybe, but not guilt. His guilt stemmed from the fact that he had made love to Bella without being completely honest with her. While he hadn't lied – a cop out on his part – he hadn't told her everything either. Emmett's warning from the day after they arrived in Washington came back to him. _This is going to end badly Edward, tell her the truth and get it over with_, Emmett told him as he ate breakfast.

It was his intention to tell her the truth before taking the relationship to another level. He was going to that night after the family dinner, but then Jordan came along. Shortly after that Bella left for Forks, and just when he thought he would get the chance when she came back, Jacob Black reared his ugly head. After that, the relationship between them went downhill, and it never seemed the right time to have that particular conversation.

But now that things had changed between them, he had no choice but to tell her truth, or as much of the truth as he dared. While he decided not to let Black influence any decisions he made in his life, he still had to keep in mind that the man was a sadistic, psychotic bastard with a grudge to bear. He was sure that there would be repercussions from the beating he had given him. But now, it made more sense to keep Bella where he could see her.

To be honest, Liam was really the person who assisted in his decision. It had been way too easy for him to get close to Bella, and it all happened right under his nose. So, if it proved that easy for Liam, what would happen if Black sent someone after Bella? She would be the perfect target, unprotected and unaware she was in danger.

Edward thought of Liam and wondered what the relationship was between him and Bella. The last time she mentioned him was the night he brought her home. The same night he had fucked-up and gone caveman. Since then, nothing. They barely spoke over the past two days, so it was hard to tell what was going on. But based on the type of person he knew Bella to be, she would not have slept with him if she was involved with Liam.

A flash of lightning arced across the sky, quickly followed by an ear-shattering rumble of thunder. He felt Bella stiffen beside him and raise her head quickly. Her head caught him on the chin and knocked his teeth together.

"Sorry," she mumbled, shoving her face into his armpit. He smiled. Bella hated storms, especially ones of this magnitude. "What time is it?"

He pressed one of the knobs on his watch. Its face was illuminated by an eerie green glow, made more ominous by the weather.

"Just after three a.m," he answered, rubbing his hand down Bella's side. His fingers grazed her breast and she shivered. "Are you hungry? The power went off just after midnight, but I think I can still manage my way downstairs without killing myself in the process."

Bella was so silent that he thought she had gone back to sleep. When she finally spoke, her voice was preoccupied, cagey.

"No, I'm okay," she whispered. But there was something about the way she said it that put him on high alert. "I'll just get a glass of water."

Edward felt Bella move off the bed, dragging the sheet with her, and feel her way towards the bathroom. He heard the splash of water in the sink, a thump, a muted curse and then the door closed. He expected Bella to return to the bed, but instead, she went over to the window and stared out across the lake through one of the smaller windows he ran out of time to cover. He could barely make out her shape in the dark, but when the lightning flashed again, the tension in her body confirmed his suspicions. Something was wrong.

He scooted off the bed and came to stand behind her. She jumped when he placed his hands on her shoulders and began to massage her tense muscles.

"Baby," he said, his voice low. "Is there something wrong?"

Again more silence, but this time, fear as to its meaning crept up his spine. Bella continued to stare out across the lake, watching as Mother Nature set off her version of fireworks throughout the heavy, rain laden clouds. The rain fell from the sky in sheets obscuring her view, and the wind howled as if complaining to anyone who would listen.

"I need to ask you something," she said, her voice hesitant. She turned to him. "And I need you to be honest with me."

Edward frowned. Bella's request for honesty signified that she suspected him of being otherwise. His first instinct was to defend himself. He had the feeling that whatever she had in mind would be something that would affect them significantly.

Edward gulped. "O-okay, what is it?"

Bella stared into his eyes and drew in a deep breath. "Were we married?"

Edward felt the bottom drop from his stomach and a feeling of nausea tied his stomach into knots. He staggered backwards until the backs of his legs hit the bed. He sat down heavily, and rubbed his hands across his face. He wished she had asked him anything but this, because he had no choice but to tell her the truth. What was he saying about the truth a few minutes ago? He could just imagine the devil in Hell laughing his ass off at the irony of the situation. He wanted to tell her the truth, well, now was his chance.

"Edward, were we married?" Bella persisted, her voice growing impatient.

Edward hung his head in shame. "Yes," he whispered. "Yes, we were married."

A sob escaped Bella's throat as Edward confirmed what she had seen in her mind. So, it was true. She and Edward were husband and wife, a fact that he, Alice and the rest of the Cullens neglected to tell her. They had hidden the truth from her. Anger descended in her chest, heavy and noxious. It made her feel like she was choking. She felt tears of betrayal sting her eyes, but she furiously brushed them away.

"Why didn't you tell me before?" she demanded. "Don't you think I had the right to know?"

Edward's shoulders slumped. The sting of her anger hit him hard. "Yes, I should have told you, but it's complicated."

"I'm sure I can keep up," Bella retorted, crossing her arms angrily beneath her breasts.

Edward wrapped the comforter around his waist. He felt ridiculously exposed - both mentally and physically - under Bella's angry stare.

"I did it to protect you," he explained, cringing when she gave a mocking laugh. "That's the truth."

Bella snorted. "Oh, now you want to talk truth?" She shook her head in disbelief. "Do you have any idea how ridiculous that sounds? It's like closing the gate after the horse has escaped."

Bella turned her back on him. She was angry, but mostly, she felt betrayed. She trusted Edward, the Cullens and Alice, but they let her go on all this time stumbling around in the dark. It had taken the act of making love to Edward to trigger a part of her life that she should have known from the very beginning.

"Look, let me explain," Edward pleaded, his voice sounding closer now. She turned to find him standing a few feet away from her clutching the comforter around his waist. He was so close that if she stretched her arm out, her palm would be flush against his chest. "When I'm finished, if you're still angry, I'll leave you alone, okay?" Bella nodded. "I didn't tell you because it would have made things harder for you.

"When you woke up and had no idea who you were, or who I was, I was devastated," he explained. "But I realised you needed a friend. Not an ex-boyfriend, and definitely not an ex-husband; a friend. If I told you that we were married, you would have felt pressured, and I didn't want that. I wanted to be there for you, so I left that part out."

Bella felt her anger cool a few degrees. "And, Alice? Your family? What were their reasons?"

"They did it because I asked them to," he sighed, running his free hand through his hair. "However, they never agreed with my decision to hide it from you, so please...don't blame them."

Bella felt the fight leave her body and fatigue take its place. She was exhausted. All she wanted to do was climb into bed with Edward and have him wrap his arms around her. After the wonderful experience they shared, the last thing she wanted to do was fight with him. But as much as she wanted that, she also could not deny that he had been less than honest with her. The realisation was something that put a crack in the foundation of her trust. She had to make a decision whether she was going to forgive him, or continue to carry the anger around inside. She figured she had so much baggage dragging behind her, that it would be better to let this go...for now.

"Okay, I understand, but you can't do that to me. You can't _not_ tell me things because you think you're protecting me," Bella said, firmly. "I have a right to know about _my_ life, _my_ past. You don't have the right to take that decision away from me, okay?"

Edward nodded. "Agreed."

"Good, now that that's covered, I'm going back to bed. This blasted storm is freaking me out," she complained, dropping the sheet from her body and moving past him. "But don't think for a minute that this topic is closed. I still have questions, and I want answers."

"Yes, ma'am," he saluted, as she went by.

"Smart ass," she grumbled, yanking the make-shift cover from his waist.

"Hmm, you never complained about my ass before," he said, grabbing her around the waist and bringing her against his body. "Why start now?"

*~*~*

"So, how long were we married?" Bella asked, idly tracing a non-existent pattern on the rim of the bathtub with her fingers.

"Three years, give or take a few days." Edward answered, rubbing his hands across Bella's wet shoulders.

The storm finally died down sometime before noon, but outside remained still and overcast. Bella and Edward had had a late breakfast, and then decided to make use of the bathtub inside his bathroom. The candles Bella set out earlier had burned to halfway and were casting long, flickering shadows on the walls around them.

"Were we happy?" she asked, a catch in her voice.

Bella dreaded hearing Edward's answer. Since they had divorced, it was obvious that whatever happiness they had together had come to an abrupt end.

Edward sighed. "I know what you're thinking. It wasn't your fault. It was mine," He felt a pain in his chest as he said the words he thought over and over for all those years. Words he never had the guts to utter before. "I allowed _things_ to get in the way."

"What things?"

Edward closed his eyes and threaded his fingers through the wet hair at the nape of Bella's neck. He was conflicted about how much he should tell her. While he wanted to be completely honest, there were some things he wasn't prepared to talk about just yet. If Bella thought finding out they were married was a big deal, then she was definitely in for a shock. The other things made that pale in comparison. His solution - tell her as much as he could, but skirt around the overly sensitive issues.

"My job for one," he began. "We were going through a rough time, but instead of dealing with the issues, I put my job ahead of you. By the time I decided to take my head out of my ass, you were gone."

"And you didn't come after me?" Bella asked, slowly. While it came out as a question, to Edward's ears, it sounded more like she was passing judgment.

"It wasn't that simple. It got...complicated." he finished lamely.

Bella huffed. "There's that word again,"

"I'm sorry, but it's true," he said, wiggling his fingers through the bubbles heaped on the surface of the water. They burst as his fingers came in contact with them. "By the time I stopped being angry with you for leaving, Renee died, and you wouldn't talk to me. You don't remember this, but I tried to talk to you at the funeral and then again when I came to see you in Vancouver, but you told me to go away. Actually, you slammed the door in my face that last time and threatened to call the police if I didn't leave."

"Boy, you must really have pissed me off," Bella said, a smile in her voice. He splashed a bit of the water into her face as punishment for laughing at him. She squealed and grabbed his hand to halt the assault.

"Pretty much. It was the perfect scenario of _a little bit too late_. A few months after that you filed for divorce," Edward's voice was solemn. "I signed the papers and put an end to our marriage."

Bella leaned back to stare him in the eyes. "Just like that, you signed them?"

Edward shrugged. "What else was I supposed to do?" he whispered. "You told me you wanted to move on with your life. After all the hurt I caused you, it was the only way I could make amends...make you happy."

"And what about you?" Bella asked, taking his hand in hers and brushing her lips over his knuckles. "Were you happy? Did you move on?"

Edward snorted. "Not even close. I was miserable, but I had to accept the consequences of my actions. When I had the chance to save our marriage, I didn't; there was no one to blame but myself."

"And now? How do you feel?"

Edward grinned lecherously at her. "Horny. What about you?"

Bella rolled her eyes. "You have a one-track mind. I can't believe I didn't see it before."

Edward laughed, feeling relieved that Bella was taking everything in stride. He wasn't sure how she would have reacted at the news of how their marriage ended. He wrapped his arms around her, and they sat in silence, each deep in thought. It was Bella who finally broke the silence.

"I guess that explains it," she muttered, sticking out her foot and catching a droplet of water from the faucet with her toe.

Edward buried his face into her neck and kissed the spot just behind her right ear. She shivered. "Explains what?"

"I was wondering why the hospital called you, instead of Alice,"

"You still had me down as your _next of kin_," he said, drawing the lobe of her ear between his lips. He moved his hands a fraction northwards and cupped her breasts. His fingers caressed the hardened tips, and he knew he had less than ten minutes before the talking progressed to something else. He couldn't seem to get enough of her; neither could he seem to stop touching her.

Bella moaned when Edward's hands travelled across the planes of her stomach towards the place she knew would be ready and waiting for him. They had made love three times so far, the last time during breakfast in the middle of the kitchen floor, but that did not lessen the desire she felt for him. She knew she would always feel this way about him, even if they lived to be a hundred years old.

"I guess that means I didn't move on either," she whispered, her breath coming in little spurts.

Her breath caught in her throat when she felt his fingers on her. His index finger slowly massaged her clit and desire unleashed itself, swiftly and forcefully. She felt him grow harder against her back and as payback, she shifted position so that the cleft of her ass would come in direct contact with him. He inhaled sharply, and slid his finger between the tight, moist walls of her body. Bella's body stiffened at the sensation, and some of the water in the tub splashed over the rim and onto the floor.

"I'm not cleaning that up," he growled, shoving his tongue in her ear.

Bella was lost in a sea of sensation as Edward alternated the thrusts of his finger into the depths of her body, massaged her nipple and nibbled on her ear. She was completely gone. Elvis had left the building and would not be returning anytime soon.

They were so caught up in each other that they never heard the footsteps on the stairs or Alice's voice calling out to them. It was only when the voices came into the room and stopped outside the bathroom door did they realise that they were no longer alone in the house.

"Oh, shit!" Edward said, panicking. He looked around for something to cover their bodies, but the towels lay just out of reach across the room on the countertop. Bella sank further down into the water just as the door flew open and Alice and Jasper stepped into the doorway.

It was almost comical how their mouths fell open at the sight of the two people in the bathtub—the two people who despite the redness flooding their faces, were trying to look as if this was an everyday occurrence. Jasper snorted, coughed and then began to laugh. Edward threw a withering look his way, but it only made him laugh harder.

Then it got worse. If Edward thought Alice and Jasper seeing them in their current plight was bad enough, another set of voices drifted towards them through the open door. Bella gasped.

"Alice, you didn't," she cried, horrified. Knowing there was no escape now from total humiliation, Bella drew in a deep breath and disappeared below the water just as Carlisle, Esme and Emmett appeared behind Alice and Jasper.

If Edward wasn't so embarrassed and horrified at his predicament, he would have found Bella's attempt to conceal herself, amusing. However, it was obvious that she was in the tub as her knees showed above the water. He coughed when the back of her head bumped against his groin, and reaching down into the depths of the water, he pulled her upwards. She spluttered as water and bubbles streamed down her face.

"Drowning will not save you," he muttered, out of the side of his mouth. "If I go down, I take you with me."

Edward turned his attention to the five people in the doorway. This was not the way he imagined his family and friends finding out about him and Bella. Something of a less graphic nature, perhaps, involving more clothing and definitely a different location. He sighed. It seemed that recently, whenever something embarrassing happened, it centered on him. Maybe this was payback for something he had done wrong in a former life.

His parents watched the entire scene with blank expressions. Emmett grinned widely and gave him the thumbs-up. Jasper was trying to control the snorts of laughter coming from his mouth and Alice...well Alice was still standing there, her mouth ajar. Suddenly she jumped forward, and Edward knew that it was because Emmett poked her in the back. She narrowed her eyes at them and placed her hands on her hips.

"Well, somebody's been busy."


	27. The Beginning of the End

**My apologies for the delay with this chapter, but it was incredibly hard for me to put my thoughts down. This chapter is extremely important and should answer a lot of the questions that you have been asking. It also explains why Bella called Edward the night of her attack. A few of my readers questioned me about this. My advice to all those reading this A/N - ****STOP****!! Go back and read Chapter 1 (Prologue) first so that you can reacquaint yourself with the night of the attack.**

**Special dedication goes out to **_fvprosey _**(Thanks a million for the multiple reviews. So glad you are enjoying the story, **_Cullenbear _**(Been so busy. Will email you tomorrow evening) **_Hannahbluenann13XD _**(Welcome, welcome and thanks for the vote) & **_3C Cullen _**(I hope you enjoy this one). **

**Thanks go out to **_shellyb09 _**(Nice review…PERV!! LOL)**_,__Navarre_**, **_AngelSoul Cullen _**(glad you finally got around to reading it. Welcome)**_, maryjojp _**(I hope this helps),**_ BQOTFU _**(Thanks so much for the multiples)**_, Daywatcher, magan bagan, starlight90, Sammy73 _**(as always, thanks) and last but by no means least, **_Malana09 _**(LOL. Epic, huh?).****To all others who reviewed, PMed me and added the story to their alerts and favourites, thanks a million.**

**Anyhoo, that's it from me for now. Please enjoy the chapter and let me know your thoughts by sending me a review.**

* * *

**Chapter 26 - The Beginning of the End**

Edward slammed his fist onto the desk and winced as the pain radiated from his hand to his elbow then up his shoulder. _Another dead end_. Things were not going well in the Jacob Black case - at least for the good guys. Every shred of evidence they managed to secure led them nowhere.

To make matters worse, he received word a few hours ago that another witness, Tony Perry, aka John Hope, had miraculously ended up floating in Lake Michigan. The cause of death was an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. Edward was the agent who convinced Tony, a former employee of Black, to enter the witness protection program. He had also escorted him to Chicago to assume his new identity. If the statistics in this case proved to be correct, it was amazing how little regard people had for their lives these days. Between the apparent suicides and the miscellaneous accidents, soon he would be down to less than a handful of witness, if he could be so lucky.

Edward ran his hand through his hair and leaned back in his chair. He stared up at the ceiling, memorizing the different patterns in the domed light fixture hanging there. He was frustrated, tired and just damn sick of this case. Black and his never-ending stream of shit were once again taking over his life.

When he told Bella that the reason for the breakdown in their marriage was his job, that was just the tip of the iceberg. An iceberg that made the one that sank the Titanic look like an icicle. It was because of Black that his marriage had deteriorated to the point where he and Bella stopped communicating. It was one of the reasons he had stopped coming home. He couldn't deal with the pain he saw in her face every time she looked at him. The pain he felt knowing that he was responsible for the bad things that happened to them. The pain of knowing that as every day that went by, his wife grew to hate him even more, and the chasm between them grew wider.

A smart person would have realised that his life was headed down the toilet. A smart person would have gotten up off his ass and done something about it. Instead, he let guilt, anger and the need to take revenge, poison his soul. Instead of facing his demons, he hid under paperwork, case files and other people's shit. What a fool he was.

Since the change in their relationship from friends to lovers, things were getting on well between the two of them. She continued to ask basic questions about their past. How they met? How long they were a couple before they married? What type of wedding they had - things like that.

They spent the last three nights playing "musical beds." They slept together, but sometimes in his bed, sometimes in hers. He knew she was taking things slow. He was aware that he had shaken her trust by withholding the information that they had been married. He still hadn't been entirely honest with her, and that scared him. He knew that if her memory returned before he came clean, whatever trust was left would be obliterated. It reminded him of all the warnings his family had given to him since Bella's return.

Esme had given him a stern talking to the day after they were caught in the bathtub. She ordered him to tell Bella everything and stop being a coward. She was disappointed that he had taken such a major step with Bella and still hadn't told her the entire truth. His father shook his head in quiet disapproval then left the room, allowing his mother to tear into him in private. Carlisle's silence hit him harder than if the man had ranted and raved.

Emmett, on the other hand, was overjoyed that he was finally doing something other than feeling sorry for himself. However, he still slapped him on the back of the head and ordered him to "fess up." Alice wasn't really speaking to him, and he knew she felt betrayed that he had gone back on his word, as if he had any say in the matter.

He wondered if any of them really had any say in this situation. He used to lay in bed at night and imagine some omnipotent being above tugging on the strings of the "puppets" in his own personal show. His life was out of his control, and if he did not put a stop to it, it would head down the same path. It was like Bella said; he could see the barn door opening an inch at a time every day. He just needed to corral the horse before it escaped...again.

Edward was lost in his musings when out of the corner of his eye a blinking red light caught his attention. The blinking light on the telephone base alerted him that he had messages waiting. He tried to remember the last time he cleared his voice-mail. He couldn't remember doing it since he returned from Vancouver. He couldn't recall being alerted that there were messages present either. He vaguely remembered his mother saying that she had left him a message a few weeks ago, but he never received it.

Getting wearily to his feet, he grabbed the handset and took it over to the desk. Maybe it was time to purchase a new phone? Obviously, this one was malfunctioning. The system must have reset itself when the power returned after the storm.

As Edward idly dialed into the voice-mail system, he continued to read the report on his laptop screen. The first message confirmed his suspicion. It was a message from Jordan dated a week before he left for Vancouver. He deleted it and moved onto the next. It was from a credit card company, offering him the best rates in the Pacific Northwest. He frowned and deleted it. He was on his fourth deletion when a call came through that made him sit up. The number registered was familiar—too familiar—it was Bella's phone in Vancouver. However, instead of hearing her voice, he was greeted by silence.

He listened for about five minutes and was just about to delete the call when he heard something that made his blood run cold. The sound of crashing, a muffled voice, then Bella's terror-filled voice screamed, "What do you want?" He sat transfixed in horror as he heard more indistinct talking, screaming, a dog barking, more pain-filled screaming and then silence. The sudden pulsing sound of the dial-tone made him jump.

Edward backed away from the phone as if it had suddenly come alive and tried to take a bite out of him. He felt the blood drain from his face, his heart rate increase, and his insides knot painfully. His back hit the wall, and feeling his knees grow weak, he sank to the floor. He drew his knees up and rested his forehead on them. He began to heave, and a pain erupted in his stomach.

It had to be a mistake; it had to be. There was no way that he had heard what he thought he just had. Was it possible that he had just heard Bella's attack? Hot tears began to slide down his cheeks as his brain finally comprehended the situation.

He sat like that for a few minutes before the FBI agent in him took control. Not having the strength to stand, he crawled over to the desk, reached up and grabbed the receiver. The sound of the dial tone still pulsed on the line and he quickly replayed the message. It was worse the second time around.

Through the haze surrounding his brain, he tried to remember where his cell phone was. It took him seconds to get his mind to focus, and halt the sound of Bella's screams reverberating in his head. He patted the pockets of his jeans and breathed a sigh of relief when he felt it. With shaking hands, he quickly dialed Andy Chou's number. The man answered almost immediately.

"Hey, E, don't you know it's the weekend?" the head Forensic Scientist greeted him, laughter in his voice.

"A-Andy, where are you right now?" Edward asked, drawing in a deep breath. He felt like he wanted to throw up.

Andy's laughter died away. "E? Are you okay?"

"Not really," he croaked. "Where are you?"

"I'm at the office. Where else would I be on a Saturday?" Andy's tone was sarcastic, but Edward knew it was a defense mechanism. Andy was worried, but instead of showing it, he used a tough exterior to disguise it.

"I need you to do something for me," he requested, his voice strained. "But it's something personal—something that you can't tell anyone about."

Andy was silent for a few seconds, as if contemplating his choices. "Okay, how soon can you get here?"

Edward checked his watch. If he wanted to catch the next ferry to the city, he had to leave in ten minutes. He tried to remember where Bella was, and then exhaled in relief. She was at his parents' house discussing the Thanksgiving dinner menu with his mother. That would give him enough time to make it to Seattle and back before he was scheduled to pick her up.

"Give me an hour," he said, then pulled himself into a standing position. As he disconnected the call, he grabbed the phone and its base and went to work. In about five minutes, he had transferred the message to his USB key. He headed out of the house quickly. Andy was a genius, thus his nickname of "The Wizard." There were very few things that Andy could not crack, and he hoped this would be an easy one. If what he had on the recording was what he thought it was, he had his first solid lead in identifying Bella's attacker. He had the son-of-a bitch's voice.

***~*~***

Edward made it to the office in precisely fifty minutes. He pushed his way into Andy's lab and paused to draw in a breath. He ran all the way from the underground parking garage to the main lobby area. The guard quickly waved him through after he took one look at Edward's face. The elevator ride seemed to take twice as long, and he paced back and forth between the confining, metal walls of the car until it drew to a halt.

The large, airy lab was empty with the exception of Andy, who was sitting at a desk in the far right hand corner of the room, his back to the door. As Edward came closer, he realized that Andy had a pair of earphones hooked around his ears and a strawberry red Twizzler stuck between his teeth. His long, straight black hair was shot through with blue and red highlights, and the jeans, t-shirt and Converse he wore seemed oddly out of place in the sterile, almost austere looking lab, with all its expensive high-tech equipment.

Edward tapped Andy on the shoulder, and the man spun around. His distinct Asian eyes crinkled in the corners, and a smile lit up his face. He removed the earphones and positioned them around his neck.

"Shit, E, that was quick," he grinned. There was a slight inflection in Andy's otherwise perfect English. "Did you take a helicopter?"

Edward gave him a tight smile. He knew what Andy was trying to do. He was trying to defuse the situation with inane banter, designed to calm a stressed out or potentially violent individual. It was _hostage negotiation_ tactic 101.

"I'm not a terrorist, Andy," Edward chided, as he pulled up a chair and sat down. "No need to try to talk me down."

Andy grinned sheepishly. "Sorry, it's the training. So, what can I do for you?"

"I need you to listen to something," he said, and extracted the memory stick from his pocket, handing it to Andy.

By the time Andy finished listening to the sound clip, he had turned the colour of parchment paper. He closed his eyes and curled his hands into fists.

"Fuck!" was all he managed to say before cradling his forehead in his palms. "Why the hell didn't you warn me?"

Bella and Andy had become friends a few years ago, when they met at an office karaoke session and discovered they had something in common - a love of music sung by Prince. The entire office had put up with Andy's off-key renditions of_Purple Rain_ on more than one occasion, so they decided to give the man a proper audience, hoping he would get it out of his system. In Edward's opinion, it was more like putting everyone in the club through the same torture they endured day after day.

Andy went onstage, and to Edward's surprise, Bella joined him after a few minutes. The two bumped hips and played air guitar as they belted out the lyrics to _I Would Die 4 U_, much to Edward's chagrin. He was thoroughly ashamed to admit that he even knew Bella, much less declare that she was his wife. Both Andy and Bella were tone deaf, but they continued to butcher the song as if there was no tomorrow.

Andy replayed the message once more, listening carefully. This was the fourth time Edward had heard the recording, and it still gave him the chills. He knew Bella had been through hell that night based on her injuries, but hearing it firsthand had put a whole new spin on things. She was terrified, in pain and alone. And he put her in that situation. She should have been in Washington, with him, not off alone in Canada, unprotected.

Edward pinched the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger. He didn't know how he could even look her in the face when he got home. He knew his guilt was irrational; after all, he wasn't the one who had attacked her, but he was just as guilty. He couldn't be more guilty if he had taken his gun and shot her himself.

Edward cleared his throat. "Imagine how I felt when I heard it," he gave Andy an apologetic look. "I know what I'm about to ask is against regulations, but I need you to try to pull the other voice from the recording, tidy it up and then run it through the digital voice print recognition program. I need to find out who this bastard is."

Andy's face was grim. "Not a problem, but it's going to take some time. The sound quality is poor and I've got a back-log of work here," He gestured to a stack of files on the desk beside him. "And Shannon is already breathing fire up my ass about processing the crime scene evidence from Perry. That's why I'm here. Your partner is in Chicago with the cops on the scene. I'm just waiting for him to send me something."

Edward frowned. _James was in Chicago?_ This was news to him. No one informed him about this, but he assumed Shannon sent him in the interest of time. It was a sound decision, one that he would have made himself. However, this was his case, and someone should have told him of the decision.

"But not to worry," Andy said, copying the file to his laptop. He handed the memory stick back to Edward who slipped it into his pocket. "I'll get it done, and no one will find out about it."

Edward threw him a grateful smile. "Thanks a million, Andy. You have no idea how much this means to me."

Andy shook his head and patted Edward on the shoulder. "I want to catch that bastard, too. Bella is cool people and a friend. I'll work my ass off if necessary to help catch that sicko."

* * *

Bella removed the pie from the oven and placed it on the countertop. She quickly slipped another inside the piping hot oven and closed the door, adjusting the temperature and wiping her hands across her heated brow. She breathed a sigh of relief. This was the last one and then she could get off her feet and enjoy the remainder of the quiet afternoon until Edward came home. While she enjoyed helping Alice out, sometimes it could be a pain - literally.

She smiled when her mind drifted towards Edward. Things were exceptionally good between them these past few days. So good, that she had almost gotten over the Cullens, along with Jasper and Alice, walking in and finding them naked in the bathtub. _Almost_ but not quite. Every time she thought about it, her face grew hot, and she wanted to shut herself in the nearest closet and never come out. She just prayed to God that the bubbles managed to cover the important parts. Since she and Alice still had not spoken, her fears continued to grow.

With the exception of her initial outburst, Alice was good enough to keep her thoughts to herself. However, there were times when Bella could see that she was fighting to keep her tongue in check. Especially when she caught her and Edward in positions that reminded her of the newly budding relationship. Like this morning. Alice had walked into the kitchen and found Edward standing behind her, arms around her waist and kissing the back of her neck. Alice made a small, strangled noise in her throat, grabbed a banana from the bowl and vacated the room. She suspected that Alice did not agree with the way things were going between her and Edward. They would have to discuss it sooner or later, because eventually it would put a strain on their friendship.

As for the state of things between her and Edward, she kept an open mind and tried not to jump in with both feet. She knew that Edward was still keeping things from her. But she got the impression that whatever he was withholding was extremely painful for him. She wondered if it would be fair to force him to speak about something he was clearly uncomfortable with just to appease her curiosity. This wasn't just about her putting her life back together; it was about him, as well. After all, they had a life together once and hopefully they could again. So she decided to put a hold on delving too deep...for now.

Bella spun around when a sudden knock on the back door pulled her out of her thoughts. To her amazement, Rosalie was standing outside on the back patio. Bella unlocked the door and threw it open. Rosalie gave her a tentative smile. For some reason it reminded her of someone waving the white flag of truce.

"Rosalie, what a surprise," Bella greeted her, trying hard to hide her shock at finding her actually standing there. "If you're looking for Edward, he's not at home yet."

"Actually, I'm here to see you," Rosalie corrected, looking a bit uncomfortable. "Uh, can I come in?"

Bella groaned silently. Talk about having a lapse in manners. She hadn't done it on purpose, but the shock of having Rosalie come to see her was a bit much.

"Of course. Sorry about that," Bella stepped aside, allowing the tall, blond woman to enter. "I'm just not accustomed to having visitors."

Bella snapped her mouth shut when Rosalie gave her an amused look. She knew she was babbling, but the urge to fill in the pregnant silence with conversation was overwhelming. It wasn't as if she and Rosalie were friends. Actually, in all the time she was here, they must have spoken less than a hundred words to each other. For some reason Bella wasn't clear on, Rosalie disliked her. While Rosalie was never hostile towards her, she was never overly friendly either. So it was understandable for Bella to be a bit surprised at the sudden change in behaviour.

"To be more precise, you're not accustomed to having _me_ as a visitor," Rosalie said, draping her white, knee-length coat over a chair and depositing her bag on the table. She sat down and crossed her legs at the ankle.

The graceful movement drew attention to Rosalie's clothing. As usual, she was impeccably dressed. She was wearing a close-fitting pair of dark blue jeans and a rainbow-hued off the shoulder blouse with an uneven hemline. The contrasting colours in the blouse gave her skin a healthy glow. A thin gold chain-link belt gathered the blouse loosely around her slender waist, and red, knee-high boots completed the ensemble. Bella looked down at her own clothes and felt as if she had just taken a trip through the neighbourhood thrift store. She sighed. _Some women had all the luck._

Bella considered lying in response to Rosalie's statement, but decided against it. After all, Rosalie was the one with the attitude, so why should she try to make her feel better?

"Well, that's true," she agreed, staring Rosalie directly in the eyes as if daring her to prove her wrong.

To Bella's surprise, Rosalie began to laugh. Bella stared at her as if she had grown another head or sprouted a pair of wings from her back. _What the hell? _Bella thought, completely flummoxed. Rosalie Hale was laughing with her? Or maybe it was at her. She had no idea.

"You're funny, Bella," Rosalie giggled. "It's one of the things I admire about you."

"Admire? Me?" Bella spluttered, leaning her hip against the counter for support. "But you hate me." She blurted the words out without thinking.

Bella groaned. She had probably driven another wedge between her and Emmett's fiancée. However, when she looked at Rosalie, she didn't look angry, just lost in thought.

"Yes, I guess you would see it like that, but you couldn't be further from the truth," Rosalie said, gifting Bella with another smile. "I don't hate you personally, I never did."

Bella slipped the oven mitts on and carefully moved the hot pie to the cooling area. The action gave her time to choose her next words carefully.

"Okay, so if you don't hate me, then why the attitude?"

Rosalie stood and came over to the counter. She peeped over Bella's shoulder and sniffed appreciatively. A look of longing came over her face.

"Pecan, right?" Rosalie asked, her eyes on the steaming pie. She seemed to have forgotten Bella's question.

"Yes, would you like a slice?"

Rosalie pursed her lips, and placed her hand over her stomach. She seemed to be deep in thought. Bella found this to be a strange reaction to the offer of a slice of pie, but she kept silent. From what she had seen, Rosalie wasn't exactly what you would call the everyday, girl next door.

"If it isn't too much trouble," Rosalie relented, reclaiming her seat.

Bella shook her head. "Not at all."

She yanked opened the door of the refrigerator, took out a chilled pie and a can of whipped cream. She quickly served up a slice, placed a dollop of whipped cream on top then handed it to Rosalie. The woman smiled apologetically before she dug into the nutty confection on her plate. She closed her eyes and sighed contentedly.

"Wow, this is so good," she groaned. "I haven't had anything this good in a long time."

Bella, flattered by Rosalie's praise, smiled her reply, but otherwise remained silent. This was an entirely different Rosalie Hale, or maybe just a side of the woman she had never had the benefit of seeing. It was amazing, but it made her wary.

A few nights ago, she and Edward were lying in bed discussing random topics: books, theatre, photography, and anything else that came to mind. Somehow, Rosalie's name came up, and against her better judgment, Bella told Edward how uncomfortable she felt around the beautiful, reserved blonde. How she felt like she had offended her in some way. Edward, of course, told her that wasn't the case, but she wasn't easily thwarted. She knew there was something off about the way Rosalie reacted to her.

A flash bulb suddenly went off inside Bella's head. It seemed like an unlikely coincidence that a couple days after their conversation, Rosalie shows up on her doorstep wanting to talk. She would bet good money that Edward had spoken to her. Bella frowned. She was going to have a little talk with Mr. Cullen when he came home.

"So," Bella said hesitantly. _Better to get it over and done with_. "You said you came to see me?"

Rosalie placed the fork on the plate beside the half eaten slice of pie and turned her attention toward Bella.

"Yes," she began, a flush colouring her cheeks. "I know things between us haven't exactly been..." Her voice trailed off as she tried to find an appropriate word.

"Friendly?" Bella supplied, an edge of bitterness creeping into her voice.

Rosalie looked embarrassed. She cleared her throat. "Uh, yes. And I think I need to explain."

Bella grabbed a chair and sat at the table opposite Rosalie. Her leg was beginning to bother her, so to avoid a repeat of the "needle incident," she needed to get off her feet. Besides, it looked as if Rosalie had quite a bit to get off her chest.

Bella shrugged, trying to feign nonchalance. Up to this point, she hadn't realised how much Rosalie's attitude affected her. Because of this, she was anxious to hear what the woman had to say.

"I first met Edward about six months after you left, and to put it lightly, he was completely fucked-up," Rosalie explained, fingering her engagement ring. Bella raised her eyebrows in surprise at Rosalie's use of profanity, but the woman seemed unaware she had caused a stir with her words. "The person you see now and the one from back then, are two completely different people. Your leaving broke him," Rosalie inhaled, "and it almost broke the rest of the Cullens as well."

Bella opened his mouth to protest, but Rosalie held up a hand, silencing her.

"I'm not blaming you, I'm just stating a fact," Rosalie clarified. "There were times when Emmett would come to my apartment in tears. He thought he was going to lose his brother. Edward seemed to lose the will to live. He took unnecessary risks in his job, shut himself off from his family, and it scared us all." Rosalie averted her eyes and looked ashamed. "And I hated you for what you were doing to _my_ family. You see, I couldn't understand how one person could have such a profound effect on so many people. You weren't important, there was nothing special about you, and admittedly, I didn't have all the facts."

Rosalie looked Bella in the eye, but then quickly looked away. "When Emmett told me you were returning, or 'coming home' as he put it, I was furious. I didn't understand how they could be so forgiving, but then I met you, and after a while, I realised why they loved you so much. You're ballsy, kind and completely selfless." Rosalie twisted a lock of her hair around her finger as she continued to stare at a spot just above Bella's head. "Then I began to worry."

Bella was so shocked by Rosalie's admission that she had difficulty speaking. When she finally spoke, her voice was puzzled.

"About what?"

Rosalie's cheeks turned red. "I was worried that you would come along and replace me."

Bella automatically reached across the table and placed her hand on Rosalie's arm in an attempt to placate her. So her suspicions had been partially correct. Rosalie saw her as a threat to the life she had built with the Cullens and resented her for putting that in jeopardy.

"Rosalie, it was never my intention to do that," Bella assured her in a firm voice. "I came here because I was scared, and Edward gave me the security I needed. I would never try to replace you."

Rosalie was silent for a few minutes, but then a naughty smile tugged at her lips. "From what I heard, that's not the only thing he gave you." She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.

Bella's hands flew to her suddenly hot face, mortified. Then she began to laugh. Rosalie joined in and soon they were trying to stifle the giggles. Bella's face turned red from embarrassment and mirth. Rosalie wiped away her tears with the back of her hand.

"I am so going to kill Emmett," Bella threatened. "I can't believe he told you about that."

Rosalie grinned widely. "Don't be too hard on my teddy bear; he was over the moon. Kept saying that it was about time Edward got some." She became serious again. "Thank you."

Bella looked confused. "For what?"

"For coming back into Edward's life; he needs you. And—" she shoved a forkful of pie into her mouth, "this excellent pie. Do you have any to spare? I want to take some home for Emmett. He's..." she trailed off, and her rosy complexion grew pale. She dropped the fork, placed her hands over her mouth and bolted from the table.

By the time Bella made it to the hallway, the muffled sounds of Rosalie's retching reached her. She opened the door to the guest bathroom and found Rosalie kneeling on the floor, her face over the toilet. Rosalie's hair slid forward as she moved closer to the porcelain, and Bella quickly grabbed it before it went in. Ignoring the increasing ache in her leg, she stood there until Rosalie's stomach completely emptied itself and she straightened.

Bella reached into the linen cupboard and withdrew a small towel. She soaked one half and held it out to Rosalie, who was now leaning weakly against the wall. She took it and wiped her perspiration-coated face and then her lips.

"I'll call, Emmett," Bella offered, and would have left had Rosalie not reached out and grabbed her leg. It amazed Bella that while Rosalie should have resembled a train wreck after her episode, she still managed to looked beautiful.

"Wait, don't do that," Rosalie pleaded. "There's nothing he can do."

Immediately, a feeling of dread came over Bella. She thought back to the time in the Cullens' kitchen when Esme tried to get Rosalie to have Carlisle examine her, but she refused. She hadn't known what was wrong then, but her tone of voice and the fact that she said "there's nothing he can do" signified that that had changed.

"Rosalie, what do you mean?" Bella demanded, trying to keep the rising panic from her voice. All sorts of horrible thoughts went through her mind. Was Rosalie dying? Was she terribly ill? Is that why she didn't want her to call Emmett? "What's wrong?"

Rosalie chewed her lip as if trying to decide if she should confide in Bella or not. She sighed. "I'll be okay. It's nothing that nine months won't cure."

As Rosalie said the words, her eyes lit up, and she placed her hand protectively over her stomach. It took a few seconds, but eventually the meaning of the words sunk it.

"Oh, my God!" Bella exclaimed, her hand covering her mouth. "You're pregnant."

Rosalie nodded happily. "Sixteen weeks today. I was on my way home to tell Emmy, but decided to stop here first."

Bella watched as Rosalie uncoiled her body from the floor and pulled herself into a standing position. She rinsed her mouth and then splashed water on her face. The colour began to return to her cheeks, and she looked ten times better than she did just moments ago. As Rosalie dried her face, she caught Bella watching her with a look of wonder.

"Emmett is going to be over the moon," Bella said. "And so will Carlisle and Esme. Wow! Edward's going to be an uncle."

Rosalie grinned. "Over the moon is putting it lightly. I'm probably going to have to hit him with something heavy to get him back down to Earth." As she spoke about Emmett, her face took on a dreamy quality, and again her hand went to her stomach. Then she frowned, and a look of concern erased the joy. "I'm scared, Bella," she whispered, her eyes filling with tears.

Without hesitation, Bella placed her arm around Rosalie's shoulder and gave her a comforting squeeze. Despite the differences they had with each other, it seemed like the most natural thing in the world for her to do.

"Why? Everything is going to be okay," she assured her, feeling Rosalie lean in to her.

Rosalie sniffed, and rubbed at her nose with the heel of her hand. "I'm afraid to tell Emmy and then something bad happens...like last time." She whispered the last words as if saying them too loud would make her fears a reality. "I don't think he could take it, and being honest, neither could I."

Bella nodded in understanding. While he had not gone into any great detail, Edward had mentioned that Rosalie had had a miscarriage and the experience had been hard on Emmett. It was obvious that Emmett loved Rosalie with every fiber of his being, so it was expected that the loss of their baby would have hit him hard.

A chill went through her at the thought, and she shivered. Rosalie turned to her, a worried look on her face. Bella immediately began to feel guilty. Here she was comforting Rosalie, but instead, she had caused her more stress. Bella inhaled and smiled weakly at Rosalie.

"Bella, are you okay?" Rosalie asked, staring at her with wide eyes. She looked almost afraid.

"Yes, I'm fine," she said, trying to shake off the uneasy feeling. She did not know why, but she suddenly had the irresistible urge to flee the room. Of course, she couldn't do that without worrying Rosalie further, so she reined in the irrational fear. "I'll go get you an extra toothbrush, then we can get you another piece of pie. Is that okay?"

Rosalie nodded, but as Bella went through the door, she felt Rosalie's eyes on her and knew that her attempt to downplay her reaction had not gone unnoticed.

* * *

As Esme spooned the remainder of the cranberry sauce into the turkey-shaped gravy boat, she hummed merrily. It was Thanksgiving Day, and like the holiday represented, she had a lot to be thankful for. She placed the cover on the sauce and turned to study Bella who was standing beside the door staring outside, a wistful smile on her lips. Bella now looked wonderful in comparison to when she first returned. She had gained some weight, and there was a healthy glow to her skin. Her contentment was apparent in her entire being.

Esme was so happy that things seemed to be looking up for their family. Bella and Alice were back, Edward was his old self again, Rosalie and Emmett were going to have a baby. It was all a dream come true for her. Her family was back together, finally. A part of her worried that something would come along and try to take that dream away, but she shoved the fear into the back of her mind. Today was not a day for negative thoughts.

Esme remembered how it was when their family had been split asunder. Every Thanksgiving Day for the past few years had been a sad affair. The first year after Bella left was the hardest. Edward refused to join them that year. He chose to spend the holiday season in Atlanta under the guise that he was working on a case. They weren't fooled. They all knew his real reason was that he couldn't face them alone. It reminded him too much of the woman he loved and everything he had lost.

Feeling a bit emotional, Esme went over to Bella and placed her hands on her shoulders. When Bella turned to smile at her, a lump rose in her throat. Her daughter was back. Though she was injured and broken, the fact that she was back was the most important thing.

"What are you looking at?" Esme asked, her voice hoarse with emotion.

"Emmett and Rosalie," Bella said quietly, returning her attention to the outside.

Esme followed Bella's gaze and saw her son and Rosalie sitting beside each other on the deck, holding hands. Emmett whispered something in Rosalie's ear, then leaned down and spoke to her stomach. Rosalie raised her hand and lovingly touched the curls on Emmett's head as he continued to carry on a one-sided conversation with the newest member of the Cullen clan. The expression on Rosalie's face could only be described as euphoric.

Esme smiled. "They look very happy," she said, satisfaction evident in her voice.

"Yes, and you must be, too," Bella said, moving away from the window to check on the turkey in the oven. "Your first grandchild. I know you're going to spoil that little one rotten."

Bella smiled as she said the words, but there was something in her eyes that worried Esme. Something was bothering Bella. From the moment Bella stepped through the door, Esme felt something was off, but she thought it was just her overactive imagination. Now she knew she was correct in her thinking. Whatever was bothering Bella's mind was now manifesting itself in the physical. Her quick eyes noted that Bella massaged her right temple, and then the back of her neck ever so often, since her arrival there that morning. It concerned her.

"Bella, are you all right?" Esme asked, worried.

Bella looked startled, but gave her a smile. "Just a bit of a headache. It will go away soon."

Esme pursed her lips and stared knowingly at Bella. Bella quickly averted her eyes, having been caught in a lie. "How long have you had it?"

Bella sighed in defeat. She should have known there was no way she could pull the wool over Esme's eyes. The woman was more observant than Alice.

"A few days. But it's worse today,"

Esme went over to Bella and clasped her hand between hers. "Maybe you should go lie down in Edward's room. I've got everything here under control."

Bella shook her head and immediately regretted the vigorous movement. The pain shot up a notch or two in intensity and stabbed at the backs of her eyeballs. She promised Esme she would help with dinner, and she was sticking to that. The last thing she wanted to do was to disrupt the family get together and divert their attention upon her. Extra scrutiny was the last thing she wanted or needed right now.

"No, I'll be okay," she said in a firm tone. "Nothing a few aspirins can't cure."

Bella could see that Esme was about to protest, but Carlisle's entrance in the room drew their conversation to a halt. Bella silently thanked Carlisle as relief flooded through her. The look Esme gave her told her that the conversation was not over. Esme quickly turned to her husband, who was slipping his arms from the sleeves of his jacket.

"You're late," Esme reprimanded, reaching out to smack Carlisle on the arm. "What took you so long? I thought you were going to miss this one."

Carlisle grinned, kissed Esme on the cheek, and winked at Bella. "Sorry about that. A last minute emergency took longer than expected."

Carlisle worked another graveyard shift at the hospital, and Bella could see that he was tired. There was a two day growth of beard on his face, and fatigue was evident around his eyes and mouth.

"I'm here now," he chuckled, trying to get his wife in a better mood. Esme narrowed her eyes at him. "Plus I found someone on the way back."

A presence in the doorway made Bella turn around, and she immediately bristled. James was standing there, a smile on his face, his duo-coloured eyes trained on her. A sliver of anger snaked its way through her.

Since the morning she first met him again, all those weeks ago, she had been spared the ordeal of dealing with him. That was the morning that she discovered that she had a severe dislike for the man who Edward considered to be a friend—and his partner. She might have been willing to overlook the fact that James had brushed against her, but his further insult had made it impossible. His underhanded comparison of her to a stray dog or cat still irritated her.

"Good morning, Mrs. C," he greeted Esme, his eyes still on Bella, appraising her. A smirk crossed his lips. "Bella."

Bella gritted her teeth but forced herself to be polite. She fought off the urge to flip him the bird and stalk out of the room. Even the way he said her name seemed to carry some sort of insult. _What is he doing here?_ she wondered as he walked further into the kitchen.

Today, he reminded her of a model from a men's catalogue. He wore a white dress shirt, with tan and grey stripes, black slacks and black loafers. Everything about him screamed expensive, even down to the roots of his perfectly styled hair. Obviously, James was well off and was not shy about displaying his wealth. What a pity he couldn't afford to buy manners or a better personality.

"James, it's been a while. How are you?" Esme greeted him, going over to give James a hug. "Edward told me you were coming."

Esme's announcement surprised Bella. James was here at Edward's invitation? An invitation that he had failed to inform her about? She wondered if Edward knew how uncomfortable James made her feel. She hadn't mentioned anything to him about the run-in they had the last time, but according to Alice, this animosity was something that was ongoing.

"I'm great, Mrs. C," James answered, looking over Esme's shoulder and straight into Bella's hostile eyes. He blinked, and a small smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. It was almost as if he could read her thoughts and found them amusing. "You're looking wonderful as usual."

Esme giggled and patted him on the shoulder. "Forever the flatterer. You haven't changed, Jimmy."

James laughed. "God, I hope not."

Carlisle grabbed a spoon and quickly stole a bit of the cranberry sauce before Esme could move the bowl out of his reach. He popped the spoon into his mouth and danced out of the way as Esme went to smack his hand. He caught her around the waist and dropped another kiss on her cheek.

"So, where is Edward, anyway?" Carlisle asked, directing his question at Bella.

It took Bella a few seconds to realise that Carlisle was speaking to her, and when she did, three pairs of eyes were watching her. She felt her face grow hot from the embarrassment of being caught not paying attention.

"Uh, he went home to pick up his cell phone," she said, trying not to grind her teeth as James directed the power of his smile at the Cullens.

She felt her headache increase and absently rubbed the side of her head. It was then that she decided to act the part of a coward and vacate the kitchen. Most of the preparation was complete, and Carlisle could assist with anything else left to do. Right now, the energy she was expending not to chew James' head off his body made her head ache worse. She needed to find a bottle of aspirin and somewhere dark to close her eyes for a few minutes.

"Esme, I think I'm going to take you up on that offer," she whispered, removing her apron and draping it over the back of one of the stools.

Carlisle frowned. "Are you okay, Bella? You look a bit pale."

"Headache," Esme and Bella said in unison.

Carlisle nodded in understanding. "Okay, go take a load off. If it gets any worse let me know."

Bella gave Carlisle a wan smile and left the kitchen. As she left, she caught James watching her from the corner of his eye. He looked amused, and for some reason, it irritated her to no end. _Smug, self-assured jerk,_ she muttered to herself as she made her way up the stairs. She prayed the rest of the day would go by without incident, because in her current frame of mind, James was just asking for it, and she would definitely give it to him.

***~*~***

When the last of the dessert had been consumed, and the last toast made, Bella and Alice began to ferry the dishes into the kitchen. Shortly afterwards, Jasper spirited Alice away, leaving Bella alone to complete her chores. She had just loaded the last of the dishes into the dishwasher when she felt a pair of arms wrap themselves firmly around her waist. Edward drew her against his body and kissed her on the side of her neck, just behind her ear. He knew it was her weak spot, and she felt her knees grow soft.

"It's been ages since I kissed you, do you know that?" he murmured, brushing tiny kisses down the graceful curve of her neck.

Bella giggled and arched her neck to give him better access. "It's only been two hours. I would hardly define that as_ages._"

He chuckled. "Like I said...ages."

Edward turned Bella gently around so that she was facing him. He placed his hands on the counter behind her, effectively hemming her in. He leaned forward and brushed his lips on one corner of her mouth, then the other. Bella placed her hands against his chest, entangled her fingers in his shirt, and drew him closer.

Bella sighed as the slight touch of Edward's lips against hers set her on fire and delicious warmth pooled between her thighs. It was illogical for one person to be so incredibly turned on by another, but here she was dying of need and enjoying every tormented moment of it. She caught a whiff of his sweet scent, and the newly formed knot in her stomach tightened. Her lips parted without provocation. It was as if they were beckoning him. He placed another light kiss on the corner of her mouth and then settled his lips over hers. The kiss was gentle at first, but then the pressure of his lips increased. She moaned as his tongue slowly crossed the barrier of her lips and came in contact with hers.

Edward gripped the edges of the counter as he felt the world tilt precariously. Bella's mouth tasted of honey and sweet promises. In the back of his mind he remembered that he was standing in his parents' kitchen, making out with his ex-wife. That thought alone should have doused the flames of his desire, but it didn't. It only served to ignite them further.

He abandoned her mouth and followed the line of her jaw with his lips. "We can be upstairs and in my room in three minutes," he whispered in her ear, as his fingers made their way under her shirt and brushed across her stomach. She inhaled sharply at the touch, as well as his suggestion. "What do you think?"

Bella moaned. She was so tempted, and with every touch, she was closer to throwing caution out the window and disappearing upstairs with Edward. The sensation of his hands and lips on her heated skin was driving her crazy. But she had to focus. One of them had to exercise some sort of control, and the rate at which he was going, it certainly wouldn't be Edward.

"I-I think we need to behave ourselves," she said, quickly losing her resolve as Edward's fingers dipped beneath the waistband of her skirt and circled the small indentation of her navel. The skin there tingled as his fingers caressed her. She felt her stomach contract, and the rest of her resolve crumbled.

The sound of a person clearing their throat quickly cut through the haze of their passion. James stood at the doorway watching them with a mixture of shock and disbelief on his face. Bella's gaze went to the covered dish he was holding in his hands and saw his knuckles tighten as he gripped it more securely to stop it from crashing to the floor. She stiffened as he continued to stare at them in silence.

As the silence grew thicker, Bella wanted to do two things. One, punch James in the face, and two, get as far away from him as possible. Of all the people who could have walked in on them, it would have to be _him_. Most people would have quietly slipped from the room, but not him; he had to stand there gawking like some pervert at a peep show. The way he was staring at them gave her the creeps, and she felt goose bumps break out on the skin of her arms. Her good mood evaporated and was slowly being replaced by anger.

James smiled and came further into the kitchen. "Don't mind me." _Too late_, Bella thought. "Esme sent me to put this in the fridge and to make sure that you two did not disappear." He grinned, his eyes moving between them. "It all makes sense now."

_That's it,_ Bella thought, her anger getting the better of her. She couldn't stand to be in the same room with him for one more minute. She endured James's smug, superior attitude and his enigmatic looks all through dinner, and now this. She shoved Edward's arm out of the way and stalked out of the kitchen. As she moved past James, she saw him raise an eyebrow in her direction. He was going to pretend he had no idea why she was upset. It was all she could do not haul off and slap him.

"What did I do?"

She heard him ask, but did not stick around long enough to hear Edward's reply. She had had enough of James Wynters to last two lifetimes.

***~*~***

Bella drew her jacket securely around her body to ward off the chill coming off the dark, still waters of Archer's Lake. The smooth, glass-like surface extended outwards, but a light fog was beginning to roll over it. It was still early evening, but the temperature had dropped since they had all come outside.

When the last remnants of the sumptuous dinner were cleared away, Emmett came up with the idea of all the men playing a game of two-on-two basketball against each other. Everyone agreed, except James, who leaned against the rails at the opposite end of the deck, cheering the other men on. He gave the excuse that he was not "athletically predisposed" to play the game. In Bella's opinion, that was just a fancy way of saying he was afraid he would get his ass kicked.

The combined chorus of Jasper's, Carlisle's, Emmett's and Edward's voices as each man tried to gain the most points reached her, and she turned to watch the ongoing game. Edward was trying his best to block his father, while Jasper was trying to avoid Emmett as he barreled down on him.

"Men," she muttered and shook her head. The testosterone levels were so high it was almost tangible.

She continued to watch as Emmett made a jump shot, but Jasper's waiting hand shot out and blocked the ball's path on its way to the basket. Somehow, his elbow connected with Emmett's head. There was a loud thump, and Emmett issued an ear-splitting expletive. Immediately Esme yelled at him to have some respect. It was Thanksgiving Day after all, and there was a child present.

Bella smiled when Emmett jogged over to Rosalie, who was lounging on one of the chaises. He patted her stomach and said, "Sorry, EJ," loud enough for Esme to hear. Rosalie rolled her eyes and pushed him away with her bare foot. These days, Emmett had gotten into the habit of addressing the baby as Emmett Jr., or EJ for short.

Bella turned her back on the others and continued to stare out at the dark, slowly undulating water. She always found the ebb and flow of the waters soothing, but not today. Today she felt as if her brain was in overdrive, and instead of the water working its calming magic on her, it made her feel anxious, threatened.

The sound of steady footsteps approaching made her turn around. To her annoyance, James was standing about three feet away, his hands held out in surrender. He gave her a hopeful, friendly smile, but she just stared at him, her expression blank. It was all she could do not to either jump into the water and try to make it to shore or go by him. The benefit of the latter option was that she could innocently bump against him and knock him into the lake. The corners of her mouth turned up as the images flooded her head. James mistook the reason for her smile, came closer and leaned against the rail.

"Bella," he began, his voice carefully modulated. "I think we got off on the wrong foot."

Bella snorted and continued to stare out across the water. "Did we now?"

He nodded. "Yes, I think I've offended you somehow, and for that I want to apologise. Sometimes I can be a bit obtuse when it comes to people." He said the last part as if he was thinking out loud. "Given the line of work I'm in, it's not a good thing."

"You can say that again," Bella muttered. She took a couple of steps backwards to put some distance between them and leaned against the wooden rails. She knew it was irrational, but she didn't want him invading her personal space. She crossed her arms protectively across her chest and continued to stare at him.

He straightened and mimicked Bella's stance. "It's just sometimes I get a bit carried away when I'm concerned about something."

Bella frowned and gave him a hard look. She felt like he was insulting her again. He was also trying to make a point, and he was toying with her. The look on his face was placid, but his eyes were calculating, and it got her guard up.

Bella pursed her lips, looking thoughtful. "And you consider _me_ to be a concern?"

James gave a throaty chuckle. "You have the potential to be."

"Care to explain," she requested, through gritted teeth.

James's eyes slid over her slowly. A shiver went up her spine as his eyes continued their assessment. Finally he stared her directly in the eyes, all traces of pretense gone. Bella realised that James hadn't come out there to offer an olive branch; he had come out there to club her with it.

"The job Edward and I do is extremely dangerous," he began. "I want to know that when it counts, my partner will be there 100 percent. I want to know that when the bullets start flying, I don't have to wonder if he's distracted because his mind is on something else."

Anger cut through Bella swiftly. She folded her hands into fists and took a step towards James. He smiled, but other than that, he did not back away.

"And I'm a distraction?" she demanded, her voice glacial. She eyed him with distaste.

"Yes, you are," he said firmly. "And right now, Edward has enough to worry about without adding you to the mix. He doesn't need this."

Bella glared at him. She felt her palm itch to slap the smug, condescending expression off James's face, but she grabbed hold of her control. The noises of the rowdy game being played on the shore and everything else faded into the background, as Bella's anger took over.

"Oh, and you know what he needs?" she asked, incredulously. "You think you know him so well?"

James laughed. "A lot better than you do. Edward tells me you can't remember very much. If you know him so well, how come you didn't remember him?"

The weight of James' words made her stagger backwards. It was almost as if he knew her worst fear and delighted in throwing it in her face. It was the one thing that bothered her most. It kept her up at night. The discovery that she and Edward were married once made it worse. How could she have forgotten someone she loved so much, much less was married to? She felt tears of shame and anger burn her eyes, as all her unspoken fears came to the surface.

"You don't know anything," she spat at him, and turned to walk away.

Her escape was thwarted when she felt a hand grab her arm. James's fingers tightened on her arm and she felt herself being pulled towards him. She struggled briefly, but the fingers biting into her flesh through the protective material of her jacket stopped her.

"Let me go," she commanded, staring into James's narrowed eyes.

"Just one thing before you go," he hissed. "If you're going to fuck him, don't fuck with his mind, too. I don't want to have to deal with the fall-out when you leave, again."

Bella gasped at the crudity of his words and yanked her arm from his grasp. He released her and the momentum caused her to stumble. The spot where he had gripped her arm throbbed, and she cradled it to her chest.

"If you ever touch me again, I will kill you," she choked out, tears in her eyes.

James laughed quietly. "Threatening a Federal Agent—I can arrest you for that."

"I'll tell, Edward," she threatened, taking a couple steps back as he came closer. The smile he had on his face scared Bella more than anything else. It was a cold, inhuman sort of smile that scared her to the very depths of her soul.

"He'll never believe you," James stated matter-of-factly, his eyes on the shore.

Bella followed his gaze. Edward was completely engrossed in his game, and had seen none of the exchange. Bella felt her hopes diminish and knew James was right. James was Edward's partner; a man he trusted with his life. There was no way he would believe her. He would think she was overreacting. The tears in her eyes spilled over and taking one last look at James's smug face, she stumbled her way down the walkway. She needed to put as much distance between them as possible. She hated James, and knew that under all that pretense, he hated her, too.

***~*~***

Edward kissed Bella's bare shoulder and sighed. She was asleep now, but she had lain beside him for close to two hours before she had succumbed. Something was wrong, but she denied it. The fact that Bella was keeping something from him was the only spoiler to the otherwise perfect Thanksgiving Day. Well, other than the uncomfortable moment in the kitchen when James walked in on them, the day had gone well. He wanted to force the issue and get it out of her, but in the end, he decided against it. After all, she wasn't the only one keeping secrets.

***~*~***

Bella opened her eyes and found herself standing on a wide road surrounded by a wall of trees on both sides. Fog curled around the trunks of the trees and spilled out into the road. Some instinct told her the fog was bad and she needed to stay away from it at all costs. As she stepped further into the center of the road, the coldness from the asphalt bit into her bare feet. She wore an almost transparent shift with spaghetti straps at the shoulders. It was something she would wear to bed, and it was completely inappropriate for where she was now.

A sudden gust of cold wind cut through the thin material of the dress and chilled her to the bone. The need to get warm propelled her forward, and she stumbled down the dark road, looking for shelter. The chirping of crickets and the sounds of the small nocturnal animals foraging in the brush were oddly comforting as she continued to walk along the dark, empty street. She wrapped her arms around her body in an attempt to keep the warmth in. The road seemed never-ending, and as she took step after step, it continued to spiral into the darkness like a huge, black snake.

Suddenly, the quiet of the night was shattered by the screech of brakes and a loud crash. Bella quickened her steps until she was travelling down the road at a dead run. The trees flew past her and blurred as she moved at inhuman speed. The road curved suddenly, and when she came out on the other end of the bend, complete devastation greeted her.

There in a ditch was an overturned SUV. The front of the vehicle was crumpled. Its windshield had shattered, but remained intact; the tyres spun lazily. There were tyre marks on the wet asphalt and bits and pieces of the vehicle littered the surface of the road.

The smell of spilt gasoline accompanied by another familiar odor burned her nose and made her gag. The smell began to overpower that of the gasoline, and she wracked her brain to remember where she had smelled it before. It smelt like rust and salt.

Two sounds reached her simultaneously. The first was the sound of sirens in the distance. The second was a pain-filled moan coming from the direction of the crashed vehicle. Bella quickly went over to the car and dropped to her knees beside one of the broken windows.

"Hang on," she yelled, as she tugged at the door-handle. The door did not budge. The impact had welded it shut and there was no way for her to get it open. "Help is coming."

She gave one last tug and then lay, stomach down, on the cold ground. Wetness seeped through the front of her dress, but she paid little attention. Her focus was on getting the person out. She was once again assailed by the strange odor and then she realised what it was, why it seemed so familiar. It was blood, and lots of it.

Bella peered through the broken shards of glass and saw that the driver was still strapped in their seat, but hanging upside down. A variety of objects littered the roof of the car and continued to rain down as she tried to get a better view of the interior of the vehicle. The curtain of dark hair which obscured the face of the person confirmed the driver was a woman. The woman moaned again, coughed and tugged weakly at her seatbelt. She was muttering over and over, and Bella had to listen hard to hear what she was saying.

"My baby," she whispered, pain and anguish filling her voice. "Please, save my baby."

Alarm streaked through Bella as she visually searched the back seat of the mangled vehicle for the baby the woman referred to. There was none; not even a car seat. Maybe the trauma of the accident and the loss of blood was causing the woman to hallucinate.

"Where's the baby?" Bella demanded of the woman, but she ignored her, almost as if she wasn't even there. She just kept repeating the request for someone to save her baby.

The woman suddenly became more alert and began to tug at the seatbelt with sudden vigor. It was then that Bella realised that the woman was pregnant; heavily pregnant from the looks of it, and the lower half of her dress was covered in blood.

Panic attacked Bella and she shoved her hands through the window and tried to tug the seatbelt loose. The exposed, jagged shards of glass cut into her forearms, but she felt no pain; everything was eclipsed by the need to get the woman out. She almost screamed in frustration when the belt remained intact.

A beam of light cut through the darkness, and the sound of the siren chirped one last time before it went silent. Bella breathed a sigh of relief.

"The paramedics are coming, okay? Can you hear me?" Bella yelled, frantically. She touched the silken strands of the woman's hair, trying to get her attention. She needed to let her know that everything was going to be all right.

She parted the woman's hair and then her world came crashing down. The light from the approaching vehicle illuminated the woman's face, and it was like looking into a mirror. It wasn't just some stranger in the car, it was her. Bella screamed in terror and fell backwards as blood soaked through the top half of the other Bella's dress, ran down her throat, dripped into her hair and onto the roof of the car.

She scrambled up the embankment on all fours and fell onto the road. She was still screaming when the paramedics reached the vehicle and began rescue procedures. She felt something move around her and realised that the fog on the road was now as thick as pea soup. A ghostly tendril wrapped itself around her ankles and tugged. She screamed and tried to pull away, but it was quickly joined by its brothers and sisters. Inch by inch, it dragged her across the road and in the direction of the trees. She fought it, but to no avail. It was much stronger than she was.

The last thing she saw before the yawning darkness of the trees enveloped her was the paramedics placing the barely conscious carbon copy of herself onto the stretcher. The copy muttered one word and fell silent as they shoved her into the back of the ambulance and closed the doors.

***~*~***

Edward had barely fallen asleep when Bella's scream punctuated the still night, jarring him awake. He sat up and grunted when one of Bella's flailing arms caught him in the chest. Tears spilled from beneath her closed lids, and he immediately grabbed her shoulders and tried to restrain her arms. She fought him, and he almost fell off the bed when one of her legs shot out and connected with his stomach. He quickly straddled her lower body, putting a stop to the movement of her legs.

"Bella, baby," he yelled, tightening his hold on her arms. "Wake up, you're dreaming."

His words seemed to get through to her on some level because she quieted and then became still. However, she continued to cry and mutter one word over and over, as sleep dragged her under once more.

The single word froze the blood in his veins and turned it to ice. It was the one word he never uttered, the one word he banished from his vocabulary. The name that to this day, still filled him with such pain that he could not breathe, could not think, could not function. Hayley. His sweet, precious, Hayley. The baby that he and Bella lost because of his arrogance and stupidity. The precious little girl that he killed.

* * *

**Please feel free to follow me on Twitter. I usually leave updates and spoilers about the story there. My Twitter name is Dragon1974UK.**


	28. The Domino Effect

**Once again I find myself apologising for keep you waiting, but my life has taken a few unusual turns. Almost a week ago, I was involved in a three car accident, and since then I have been plagued with constant back ache. This limits the amount of time I spend sitting in front of my computer. So let me say now that I am thankful to all who have read, reviewed and added the story to their favourites.**

**Special dedication goes out to my BFF **_Shelly09, cullenbear, malana09, magan bagan, Luereetwilitejunki, dreampills, Sammy73, midgie & CarrollFamily02 _**(great big welcome),**_ starlight90 _**and last but by no means least,**_ fvprosey. _

**Well, that's it from me for now. I hope you enjoy what's to come, and when you're finished, please leave a review. **

* * *

**Chapter 27 - The Domino Effect**

Edward leaned against the metal rails surrounding the upper deck of the ferry and stared out across the turbulent, blue-gray waters of the Puget Sound. The water was reminiscent of the turmoil going on inside his head. He rubbed his gritty and tired eyes with the heel of his hand and exhaled loudly. He was tired, on edge, and in a rotten mood. Lack of sleep, guilt and the never-ending stream of thoughts going through his head were the reasons for his discomfort.

Last night after her nightmare, he lay beside Bella, unable to sleep, unable to move. She was dead to the world, and for that he was thankful. He feared that the slightest movement he made would jolt her awake. The thought of her telling him that she remembered everything paralysed him. She would tell him it was because of him that their daughter's life was cut short. It was because of him that they never got the chance to know her.

"Not thinking of jumping, are we?" Carlisle asked, coming up from beside him. Edward gave his father a thoughtful look. Carlisle rolled his eyes and drained the last of the coffee from his cup. "It can't be that bad, can it?"

Edward snorted and took a sip from his cup. The black coffee burned his tongue and scalded the back of his throat on its way down, but he barely flinched. The physical pain was a minor distraction from the mental one he was experiencing.

"You're right. It's worse," he said, returning his attention to the approaching land mass. In the distance, the Space Needle and the various high rises of the downtown Seattle came into view. This was usually the part of the trip he enjoyed most, but not today. Today, the scenery held no joy for him.

Carlisle frowned and crushed the empty cup he held in his hand. "Care to explain?"

Edward closed his eyes and began to tell his father what happened. His eyes were still closed when he finished his story, but he could feel the tension emanating from his father's body. He opened one eye and glanced at him. Carlisle's mouth was set in a firm line, and from this close distance, it looked like he had aged ten years in a matter of minutes.

"Dad..." Edward began, but trailed off when Carlisle held up a hand signifying that he not talk. He closed his mouth and waited. He wasn't sure what to expect, but it was probably going to be in the region of "I told you so." However, the first words that Carlisle offered were not what he expected.

"How is she? Does she remember anything?"

Edward shook his head and threw his half full cup into a nearby garbage can. "She woke up with another headache, but other than that, she doesn't seem to remember."

"So, what are you going to do now?" Carlisle asked, his voice weary. He ran his hand through his blond hair, disturbing the perfectly combed strands. He did not look in Edward's direction, and this bothered him. It was rare for his father to refuse to look him in the eye.

"I don't know," he admitted quietly.

Carlisle's hands tightened on the rails until the bones of his knuckles stood out sharply against his skin. "That's not the answer I want to hear, Edward," He turned to look at his son with exasperation on his face. "Look, I've held my tongue all this time, but now I think that was the wrong thing to do." Edward opened his mouth to protest. "Shut up, son. You seem to have a problem talking, so now it's my turn.

"I would say 'I told you so', but that's a bit too cliché. What I will say is that this is only going to get worse," he prophesied. "Your mother told me that Bella was having headaches for the past few days. From a medical stand-point, I think her mind is trying to repair itself. As that progresses, her memory will return. You knew there was a chance of this happening. That's why I can't figure out why you haven't dealt with all this before now."

"It's not that easy, Dad," Edward protested. "With everything going on, what did you want me to say to her? Hey, Bella, I know you don't remember right now, but I killed our daughter? I'm really sorry?"

Carlisle swallowed painfully and grabbed Edward by the shoulders. "Now you listen to me. You did not kill, Hayley. It was an accident. None of it was your fault."

Edward tried to jerk away from his father's hands, but Carlisle held on tight. When Edward spoke, his voice was dead, emotionless—broken. It was similar to the way he had been living his life every since that cursed night.

"Yes, it was. If I was there like she asked instead of putting my job before her...them, everything would have been all right. If not for me, she never would have been on that road; that bastard would not have been able to get to her. It was my duty to protect my family, and I failed. Because I was selfish and arrogant, my daughter died, and I almost lost my wife," Edward's chest heaved with the emotions he was trying to keep inside. "I left them alone, bleeding, trapped on that road—dying. I should have been there, Dad, I should have been the one to die, not her. _Not her_."

Edward was shaking so hard that Carlisle swore he was going to collapse from the stress. He knew Edward felt guilt, but never imagined the magnitude. He looked at his son, and he saw a little boy—his little boy, and he was hurting. The source of the pain was unimportant. All that mattered was that his son was in pain and needed him. He drew Edward to him and held onto him until the shaking subsided.

"Edward, there was nothing you could've done for them that night. You couldn't even help yourself," Carlisle said, his voice hoarse, but firm. "It's not your fault, son."

Edward wrenched himself away from his father's embrace and put some distance between them. His hands balled into fists; his breathing was constricted and labored. He felt like his grief had become a gaping hole—a hole that sucked all the emotions into one sharp, stabbing point in the centre of his chest. But he could not let it take hold, would not. He had to continue to fight to keep everything buried deep down inside where it wouldn't touch him. Now was not the time for him to fall apart.

"You don't understand," he ground out, his shoulders slumped in defeat. _No one understands._

Carlisle gave a sarcastic snort of laughter. "Is that what you think? Do you think no one understands the pain you're going through?"

Carlisle glared at his son. Did Edward really think that Hayley's death affected him and Bella only? He felt the loss every day, too. He felt like grabbing Edward and shaking some sense into him. He never thought his son was selfish and blind until this very moment.

"You're right, I don't understand. I don't understand how one person can be so incredibly selfish."

"Dad— " Edward pleaded.

Carlisle cut him off abruptly. "No, I don't want to hear it," he spat the words, anger bubbling inside him like hot, molten lava. "Do you seriously think that your mother, Emmett and I, don't think about her every day? That we don't hurt?" He sounded angry and offended. "And what about me, Edward? How do you think I feel not being able to save my granddaughter's life? _I_ was the frigging doctor on call that night. _I_ cut into my daughter-in-law and extracted my beautiful grandbaby. _I_ was the one who tried to save her life, to force air into her tiny lungs. _I_ was the one who had to call it. _I_ was the one who had to clean her up and take her to Bella, so she could say good-bye. Me, Edward. _Me_," he cried, jabbing his finger into his heaving chest. "So don't you _dare_ tell me I have no idea how you feel." There were tears in Carlisle's eyes as he stared at his son.

Edward stared at his father in horror. Quickly after that, shame and paralyzing despair followed. He had never seen his father so angry or in so much pain. This was the first time he had spoken to him about what had happened the night Hayley died. He had no idea what had gone on because a few hours before, he had been brought in with a gunshot wound to the chest, compliments of a psycho who was still running around loose to this very day.

"How the hell do you think I felt knowing that while I was in the Emergency Room trying to save one half of my family, you were upstairs in the OR fighting for your life? I felt like shit, but I had to handle it, detach myself," Carlisle said, his voice now emotionless. He stared at the mass of white-capped waves created by the ferry's engines as it prepared to pull into the dock. He sighed, wiping at his damp eyes. "I had to be strong. It was hard, but I did it. I accepted my guilt, dealt with my anger and tried to move pass it. But what did you do? You fed off the damn thing. You used your pain, your anger, your need for revenge as a human shield, and pushed us away. You pushed your wife away when she needed you most."

Edward tried to swallow past the sudden constriction that blocked his throat, but couldn't. He held out his hand to his father, but Carlisle ignored him, his mind still back in the emergency room four years ago.

"Hayley was your daughter, but she was my grand-daughter, too. What you have done to this family and her memory is wrong. You shut her away, Edward. You closed the door on her without grieving for her, and you expected the rest of us to follow suit," Carlisle said, his voice filled with grief. "You had no right to do that, especially to Bella. She needed you, and you cut her off. It was almost like you _had_ died that night in the OR." He drew in a deep breath, and looked Edward directly in the face. "Sometimes I thought it might have been better if you did."

Edward grabbed hold of the metal rails as the crushing weight of his father's words fell on his shoulders. For the first time in four years he realised how incredibly selfish and self-absorbed he had been. He was so consumed with guilt and anger that his family's feelings were immaterial to him. He treated them with so little regard. It was a wonder they did not hate him.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, feeling worse when Carlisle shook his head.

"That's not enough, Edward," he said, sadly. "You need to fix this. First, you need to be honest with yourself, and then Bella. The time for running away has passed. You need to face your demons, because if you don't - as impossible as this sounds - it'll be worse this time around."

Before Edward could reply, his father turned his back on him and walked away. He went down the narrow flight of metal stairs and disappeared into the deck below.

He stood there, the sensation of being battered in an endless sea of emotion and anguish claiming him. It threatened to pull him under and suck him down into its cold, numbing depths. He leaned heavily against the rails to try to keep his body in a vertical position, instead of succumbing to the urge to drop to the wooden floor and scream his lungs out.

His father's words were like knives thrown swiftly, hitting him with deadly accuracy. He never thought how his family felt about the events of that night. They dealt with it alone, while he lay unconscious in the ICU for two days. Another sharp pain cut deep, and he inhaled harshly.

He never had the opportunity to see or even touch his little girl before her death. It was one of the things that ate away at him each day. He did not have the chance to say "good-bye." When he awoke, his first concern was his wife and daughter. He knew something was wrong when the nurses looked at each other, unable to speak. One of them quickly left the room, only to return minutes later, accompanied by Carlisle. One look at his father's pale and worn face and he knew something bad had happened.

When Carlisle told him that his daughter was gone, and that his wife in critical, but stable condition, his world fell apart. He couldn't process in his head most of what his father said; he blocked everything else out. The only thing he understood was that Bella's car had been rear-ended. It wasn't an accident. Someone deliberately tried to hurt her, and they succeeded in more ways than one.

He went to see Bella the day after he awoke. He demanded that his tubes be removed and the machines unplugged. He wanted to see his wife, and if he had to rip them out himself, he would.

Carlisle wheeled him to the maternity ward and into Bella's private room. The sight of her broke his heart. She was pale and bruised. The bulge that they watched grow from the size of a tennis ball to that of a basketball was gone. The reality of the situation came crashing down on him at that moment. His daughter was really gone. The tiny, little human being who was nestled safe and secure in the depths of his wife's body had been ripped from them.

Bella was consumed with grief, and as he held her in his arms, the anger he was holding inside grew into a steel cage that encompassed his heart. That was the last time he allowed his grief to show. Thinking back, he knew he reacted badly to the entire situation and had alienated his family. It ended with Bella leaving and ultimately filing for a divorce.

He wasn't in any condition to attend Hayley's funeral, but he did anyhow. His father got him dressed at the hospital and drove him there. It was the second time he saw Bella since the accident, and he couldn't look her in the face. The entire service was a blur to him. He just remembered looking upon his daughter's small, white coffin and feeling two emotions - hate and anger.

Hate for the man he knew was responsible and anger with himself for having failed Hayley and Bella. It was then he decided that he would make Jacob Black pay for what he did to his family, even if it was the last thing he ever did.

The angry buzz of his phone brought him back to the present. The arrow in the corner of the screen indicated that he had some missed calls. He remembered that he had turned his phone off to keep from waking Bella. He was surprised to find that almost all the passengers had disembarked, and he was now alone on the deck. The phone continued to ring, and reluctantly, he answered. It was James, and he did not sound happy.

"Where the hell are you?" he snapped.

Edward glanced at his watch and saw it was almost nine o'clock. He was late. His body had been so tired that he had started to fall asleep at five a.m., the time when he should be getting up. He lingered beside Bella, waiting for her to wake up and accuse him of being the cowardly liar he was. But it never happened. She had no memory of her dream, just a feeling of displacement.

The coward in him rejoiced at the fact that he was given a reprieve. The other part of him wished she had remembered, because then he would have no choice but to tell her everything, whether he wanted to or not.

"Edward, are you still there?" James asked. The irritation in his voice came through loud and clear.

Edward went down the steps and quickly made his way to his car. It was the only one left on the deck.

"I'm on my way in. What's up?"

Starting the engine, he shoved the car in drive and drove off the ferry's ramp to join the queue waiting to exit onto the main roadway. His father's car was nowhere in sight, and for that he was thankful. There was no way he could face him now.

"Shannon wants to see you ASAP," James ordered. "In other words, do not pass "Go," do not collect $200.00."

Edward rolled his eyes. Sometimes James's sarcasm could be extremely irritating. Now was one of those times.

"Has something happened?" he asked as he turned onto Alaska Way and headed downtown.

James huffed. "Yeah, and whatever it is has Shannon's shorts in a knot. He said he tried calling you, but you weren't answering. What happened? Late night?"

Edward frowned. Something about James's snippy tone got under his skin. It wasn't what he said, but the way he said it. However, given the recent events, he was in no mood to take on any more stress. He had enough to deal with, and according to James, more was on its way.

"Something like that," he stated enigmatically.

James exhaled loudly. "Whatever, man. Just get your ass here before Shannon bursts an artery." Then the phone went dead.

When Edward arrived at the office ten minutes later, he went straight to Shannon's office and knocked on the door. Without waiting to be invited in, he pushed the door open and stepped inside. He knew whatever happened was bad, because the man's usual "open door" policy had been revoked.

As James predicted, Shannon was extremely agitated. He paced up and down the room, his hands shoved into the pockets of his slacks. His bulky frame literally flew across the navy industrial type carpet. Edward was surprised there wasn't a path where Shannon's feet had worn the carpet threadbare.

The man gave Edward a look that was a mixture of relief and frustration.

"You're late," he snarled, his pace slowing but never coming to a complete halt.

"Sorry," Edward apologized, plunking himself into one of the chairs opposite Shannon's desk. "James told me you wanted to see me. What's up?"

Shannon glanced at the door to ensure it was closed. He then went to sit in his chair, all the while keeping his eyes on Edward. Edward knew he was stalling. Shannon was the type of man who did not delay when he had to say something. This made Edward realise that what Shannon was about to say was probably something he did not want to hear.

"There's been an incident at Florence."

Edward sat up slowly, his defenses slamming into place, his brain working hard. "What sort of incident?"

"Apparently, one of the other prisoners has taken a violent dislike to Jacob Black,"

Edward snorted. "Like that's something new. Everywhere he goes he spreads hate and evil. He's like the frigging plague."

Shannon ignored Edward's interruption and continued. "Well, this particular prisoner went after him with a knife during breakfast. We're not sure how he got the weapon, but he had it."

Edward felt a sliver of anticipation run through him at the prospect of Jacob Black being killed. It was a feeling that, given the circumstances and his position, he should not be experiencing.

"Is he dead?" he asked, his voice devoid of emotion.

"No, but he's been injured badly enough to be taken to St. Luke's Medical Center."

Edward shrugged, quickly losing interest. "He'll live."

Jacob Black, the "life-stealer," was the last person he wanted to hear about. It was on the tip of his tongue to blurt out that he should have died. Just like Hayley and all the other people he killed. It would be poetic justice. While they never found the vehicle or the person who ran Bella off the road, he knew Black was connected. He knew that bastard sent someone to go after his family.

Shannon suddenly began to look uncomfortable. Immediately, Edward knew that there was more to this story than he was being told.

"There's more, isn't there?" His voice was calm, disguising the anxiety he felt building inside.

"Yes." Shannon cleared his throat, trying to find a way to break the rest of the bad news. "When Black was attacked, Mark got caught in the middle..." He trailed off, waiting for Edward's reaction to the news that his friend was injured.

Edward closed his eyes and folded his hands into fists. There was a rushing noise in his ears, and he took a few breaths before he spoke.

"Is he dead?" Edward croaked, as a picture of Mark's jovial face flashed through his mind. The last time he saw him, he begged Mark to be careful. He had a bad feeling then. He should have followed his instincts and pulled him out. Now, it was too late.

Shannon shook his head, but the look on his face remained grim. "No, but he's hurt...bad. They say he might not live. He's in surgery now, but it doesn't look good."

Edward ran his hand through his hair and swore. This was not supposed to happen. Mark accepted the assignment to infiltrate the prison and keep an eye on Black, because he asked him too. Another person hurt because of him. Boy, he just seemed to be racking up the casualties by the handfuls.

His thoughts suddenly went to Mark's wife, Tessa. She was pregnant and probably due any day. He swallowed when he thought what she must be going through. She was his friend, but after this she would probably hate him.

"Has anyone contacted his wife?"

Shannon nodded. "Yes, I did, after I contacted his boss. She should be there by now."

This could not have happened at a worse time. The age old adage "when it rains, it pours," came to his mind. He glanced at his watch.

"I'm going to Denver," he announced, his tone daring Shannon to argue. He did not. All he did was nod and hand Edward a sheet of paper.

"I suspected you would want to go. Your flight details are there. While you're there, I want you to pay a visit to the prison. Find out how it happened," Shannon growled, slamming his meaty fist onto the desk. His half-filled cup and a couple of pens jumped into the air. "And for God's sake, be careful. I don't want another agent ending up in hospital."

Edward nodded, got to his feet, and then yanked the door open. James was standing on the other side, his folded fist poised, ready to knock. Edward stepped around him and headed down the hallway towards the locker room. James was not far behind.

"What the hell happened?" he demanded, as Edward entered the combination code into the keypad on the metal door.

"I'm going to Denver," he answered, shortly. He yanked open the door and retrieved a black bag from one of the hooks inside.

"What for?"

Edward felt James's eyes on him as he continued to stuff an assortment of toiletries and a few pieces of clothing into the bag.

"Edward, I'm talking to you. Why are you going to Denver?"

Edward sighed in frustration. "Jacob Black was attacked, and I've got an agent down. The prison's not secure, James. I need to find out what happened."

James looked shocked and angry. "You have an agent in the prison?"

"Had," Edward clarified, shoving an undershirt into the depths of the bag.

James stared at him in disbelief and stood, kicking a chair out of his way as he made his way towards the door.

"You know what? Go find yourself another partner," he growled.

Edward stared at him in disbelief. "What the hell does that mean?"

"I think you're smart enough," James said coolly. "Figure it out."

He went through the door, leaving Edward staring after him in shock. Shaking his head, he reached into the locker, extracted the navy sleeveless vest with the words F.B.I stenciled on the back in bold white letters, and stuffed it into the bag. _This day just keeps getting better and better._

The sound of the door opening and closing again, made him whirl around. James was leaning against the door, anger infusing every line of his body.

"You know, I have stood by your sorry ass for five years, and this is how you repay me?" he spat, balling his hands into fists. "I know you're point on this investigation, but we're supposed to be partners, Edward—partners. Do you even understand the fucking concept? From the time you marched your ass back from Canada, I have been picking up the scraps you've left behind. You put a goddamn agent in the prison and didn't even tell me?"

"It was on a need-to-know basis," Edward explained, his voice hard. "The less people who knew, the better."

James's mouth formed an angry line. "So what am I? A security risk?" When Edward remained silent, James shook his head. "Great. Why am I not surprised? I should have expected this."

"What the hell does that mean?"

"It means, that everything changed when _she_ came around," James spat. "You're an entirely different person. It's like someone switched your body."

Knowing that James was referring to Bella immediately got his back up. What James was implying was ludicrous.

"This has nothing to do with her."

James laughed. "Yes, it does. I can't rely on you anymore, man. I need to know that when the shit hits the fan, my partner will have my back. But I guess I'll have to check with Bella first, since she's obviously running the whole goddamn show."

Edward felt anger consume him. He dropped the bag on the wooden bench and took a step towards James. The man did not flinch, but stared at him with cool, angry eyes.

"You're out of line, James. Way out of line."

"Am I? I'm your partner, and you do not keep me in the loop. You went to see Jacob Black before, and I had to find out when you got back. You put an agent in the prison, and you neglected to tell me," James said, counting off Edward's infractions on his fingers. "And the biggest thing of all, you and Bella get back together, and I had to walk in on the two of you to find out. That's not something a partner and friend does, Edward."

"The status of my relationship with Bella is not up for discussion, and I explained about the rest."

"The hell it isn't," James yelled. "She's bad news, and I told you that from the very beginning. I watched you beat yourself into the ground because of her three years ago. I watched you fall apart. You could barely function, and I was there for you, every step of the way." James took a step into the room. This put him about four feet away from Edward's trembling body. "I admit, she looks like a real good fuck, but you can pay for it and have less stress."

Edward's anger unleashed itself and the next thing he knew, he had grabbed James by the front of his shirt and slammed him against the set of empty lockers on the wall. The metal cubicles rattled, and the noise was deafening in the quiet room.

"Shut your mouth," Edward roared, looking into James's astonished face. "Don't ever let me hear you talk about her like that, again!"

James yanked himself away from Edward's hands and straightened his tie and jacket. "It _is _my business. I put my life in your hands every day, Edward. I have the right to know that I'm safe. I don't want to find myself in a situation where your mind is on Bella instead of where it should be."

A flash of intuition went through Edward's mind. It started as an idea, but quickly grew into a full blown theory. Edward stared at James in anger.

"You said something to her, didn't you?" he accused.

James gave him a blank look. "Something like what?"

"You said something to her yesterday. That's why she was so upset last night."

James quirked an eyebrow at him. "Did she tell you I said something?"

Edward tried to decide between telling the truth and calling James's bluff. If he said "yes," James would demand to know what it was, and he would be caught in his own lie, so he decided to tell the truth.

"No, but I know her, and something upset her yesterday."

"So, you automatically suspect me?" James narrowed his eyes. "Thanks a lot, Edward. But for the record, if I said something to Bella, it would have been for her own good."

Edward felt his anger shoot straight into his brain. His theory was confirmed. He leveled a finger at James's chest.

"Stay away from Bella," he warned, curbing the need to lash out physically. "She has enough to deal with without you adding to it. Back the fuck off."

"Or what?" James challenged.

Edward slammed the locker door shut, grabbed the bag and made his way to the door. Before he went through, he turned and gave James a cold, hostile look.

"Or, you'll answer to me. Believe me, James, you don't want to mess with me."

***~*~***

As Edward sat in the back of the cab on his way to the airport, he telephoned Bella. The phone rang for a bit, but finally she answered. She sounded groggy and confused.

"Hey, baby. Did I wake you?" he asked softly.

"No, not really," she replied hoarsely. She cleared her throat. "Miss me already?"

Even though she was feeling like crap, she continued to tease him. The love he felt for her welled up inside him, and he drew in a shaky breath. He could not lose her again.

"You know I do," he chuckled, trying to push his fears and insecurities into the back of his mind. "How's the head?"

Bella sighed. "Better, but it has its moments. So, what's up?"

He heard a bit of rustling in the background, but soon everything became quiet again. Edward smiled. There was no fooling Bella. Even now, she could still pick up when there was something on his mind.

"Do I need a reason to call?"

She tried to stifle a yawn. "Based on the fact that you left home almost three hours ago, yes. What's wrong? Where are you?"

"I'm on my way to the airport." There was silence on her end as she processed the meaning of his words. "Something came up, and I've got to go out of state."

"For how long?" she asked, her voice quivering.

"I'm not sure," he hedged, looking out the window at the buildings as they went by. The driver took a right onto the I-5 ramp and then merged into the lane for _Airport Way_. "When I get to Denver, I'll have a better idea of what I'm dealing with. I'm hoping it will only be overnight, but I think that's being optimistic." He listened for any sound that would give him an indication on Bella's thoughts. There was none. "Are you okay with this?"

Bella snorted. "Edward, I'm not a baby. Besides, we're not joined at the hip."

Edward grinned. "Thank God for that. It would make it really difficult to make love to you then."

Bella giggled. "Perv!"

Edward laughed. "Yeah, and you love me for it."

Bella was silent once again, but when she spoke, her voice was soft. "Yes, I do."

Edward went completely still. His joy made his heart rate accelerate so quickly that he thought his heart would leap out of his chest. Had he heard right? Did Bella just admit that she loved him? He had to be sure.

"What did you say?"

Edward could tell she was blushing. He imagined her tracing an invisible pattern on the sheet and chewing the corner of her bottom lip.

"I said, I love you," she said, her voice soft and intimate.

Edward closed his eyes and felt a burn at the back of his closed lids. He drew in a breath and held it. He had waited months for her to say those words, and now that she had, he was nowhere near her. He wasn't sure when he would see her again. For all he knew, it could be hours, or it could be days. Damn!

"I love you, too, Bella," he confessed, his voice breaking. "More than you'll ever know. I've loved you for what feels like my whole life, from the very first time I saw you. You are my life, and always have been."

There was more silence on her end, but the sound of quiet sniffles broke through.

"Baby, are you crying?" he asked, concerned. The last thing he wanted to do was make her cry.

"Yes, but happy tears," she whispered, sniffing. "I've wanted to hear those words from you for a long time."

Edward groaned. "I wish I was there with you now. This was not something I wanted to say over the phone."

Bella laughed quietly. "Me either. I always envisioned something a bit more romantic."

"I'll make it up to you as soon as I get home; I promise. Now, go get some rest."

Bella yawned again. "Can't. I promised Peter I would come see him today, so I've got to get moving," she explained. "Emmett said he would take me since Alice stayed over at Jasper's last night."

Emmett had decided to take the day off so that he could have an extra long weekend with Rosalie. With Edward's help, he planned a romantic getaway at one of the island's Bed and Breakfast inns. Emmett was trying to spend as much time with Rosalie before the baby came. He was also going to use this opportunity to commit her to a wedding date as he wanted to be married before EJ was born.

He spoke to Bella for a few more minutes before promising to call when he reached Denver, then he disconnected the call. He leaned back against the seat as a pain settled in his chest, thinking of his father. The conversation they had was still fresh in his mind, along with the emotions it brought to the surface.

Usually when he had to travel unexpectedly, he contacted his father, and he disseminated the information to the rest of the family. This time, he decided he would call Emmett and ask him to tell the rest of the family, and get his car from his office, as well.

He knew Emmett would sense that something was wrong, but wouldn't force the issue. He would leave it up to Edward to tell him when he was ready. This would give his father some time to cool off. He would call Carlisle later to see where they stood.

In the meantime, he needed to make sure that Alice would be home at night. There was a chance that he would be gone for more than one night. There was no way in hell he wanted Bella to be alone in the house.

***~*~***

Edward arrived in Denver shortly after two o'clock in the afternoon and went straight to the hospital. Shannon had contacted the local office and arranged a ride for him.

The agent sent to collect him was obviously a rookie as he talked for the entire forty minute drive from the airport to the hospital. What was Seattle like? Was it as rainy as he had heard? Had he ever been to Denver before? How long had he been an agent? What was the office in Seattle like?

By the time Edward reached Presbyterian/St Luke's Medical Center, he was ready to knock the guy out just to keep his lips from flapping. The man kindly offered to be his guide for the duration of his stay, but Edward quickly declined. If he spent a minute more in the man's presence, he would not be responsible for his actions.

Wrinkling his nose at the heavy antiseptic smell in the air of the hospital, Edward made his way to the waiting room of the surgical ICU. As soon as he stepped into the room, he caught sight of Tessa sitting in one of the chairs beside a large window. Her straight black hair was wrestled into an untidy ponytail, and her heart-shaped face was pale with the exception of splotches of red around her nose and beneath her puffy eyes.

His gaze travelled south and focused on her swollen abdomen. As her hand absently rubbed the bulge, Edward remembered Bella once lying on the couch, her head on his lap, smiling as he massaged the soft warm skin of her distended stomach beneath the thin material of her T-shirt. It was the last time he had felt his daughter move beneath his hand. The accident happened the following day.

Edward shook away the memory and closed the door quietly behind him. Tessa turned at the sound of the opening door and stared at him with a blank expression on her face. Her lips quivered, then she pulled her body out of the chair and came over to him.

A loud crack exploded in the room as Tessa slapped him across the face, then she immediately burst into tears. Edward reached for her and enveloped her in his arms. She did not resist; instead she wrapped her arms around his waist and collapsed against him.

"I'm so sorry, Tess," he said, kissing the top of her head and rubbing her shaking back. She continued to sob and felt his guilt increase another notch. "This is my fault."

Tessa sniffed and raised her head so that she was looking into his eyes—eyes the colour of a summer's sky met those of jade and held. Silently, they communicated the sorrow and pain they felt inside.

"Yes, it is," she croaked. "But you didn't force him to take the assignment. It was his choice."

Edward led her back to the group of chairs to sit, then took a seat beside her. She reached out and entangled her fingers with his. The level of their friendship brought about a feeling of comfort that not many exes shared.

He and Tessa were once a couple in his freshman year in college. A year into the relationship, they decided to dispense with the other aspects of the relationship and just remain friends. They still spoke occasionally, but the last time he had seen her was two and a half years ago, when he had spent Thanksgiving Day in Atlanta helping Mark out on a case.

Tessa reminded him a bit of Bella. Both were strong, intelligent, independent women with an ability to love whole-heartedly.

"How is he?" he asked, slipping his jacket off and loosening his tie. He dropped the jacket into a heap beside his thigh.

Tessa gave him a pained smile. "He's out of surgery, but they're not sure if he'll make it through the night." She shuddered and squeezed his hand. "They said the knife did a lot of damage on its way in. He went into cardiac arrest on his way here, Edward." She began to sob anew, and he wrapped his arm around her hunched shoulders.

"What about you? Who's taking care of Ryan?" he asked, referring to Tessa and Mark's five year old son.

"My mom," she said, wiping at her tears with a crumpled handkerchief. "She was there when the call came through. I tried to call you, but you wouldn't answer your phone."

Edward looked contrite. "Sorry, been going through some stuff so my phone was turned off."

Tessa gave him a curious look. Regardless how much time passed between them, he knew he could always talk to her. She would give him her opinion whether he wanted to hear it or not.

He licked his lips. "Bella's back," he said, and went on to give her an edited version of everything that had happened from the time he received the call about Bella's attack to the dream she had the night before. When he was finished, Tessa's eyes were filled with sympathy.

"I know it's hard, but you've got to tell her, Edward," Tessa scolded. "She deserves to know. Besides, you need to talk about Hayley; it's eating away at you. Who better to talk to than the person who was touched by the same tragedy?"

Edward stood and began to pace back and forth across the tiled floor. He ran his fingers through his hair. "Tess, you have no idea how difficult this is. I want to tell her, but I don't know how," he said, frustrated. "All I can think is if we couldn't handle it back then, how can we now? She doesn't remember that part of our life. Is it fair to put that on her?"

Tessa pursed her lips and looked thoughtful. "Is it fair to take away her choice, Edward? She's not a child, and you can't spend your days 'child-proofing' her life. The Bella I remember would never want to be treated like that."

Edward rubbed his hand down his face. "I-I don't want her to hate me again."

Tessa smiled sadly. "She never did. She might have been hurt, she might have even been angry at you, but I don't think she ever hated you,"

Edward huffed. "You weren't there. You did not have to look into her face every day and see the disappointment and loathing."

"I did see her—at the funeral, and what I saw was loneliness and need. She needed her husband, Edward, and to be honest, you were the one that pulled away. You looked like you hated her." Tessa's voice was quiet, but the words blasted through his skull, their pitch magnified. "Hated her for being in that car and for allowing Hayley to die. You couldn't even look her in the face. You wouldn't even touch her."

"But that's not true," he choked out, his eyes wide. "I never blamed her for what happened."

Did Bella really think he hated and blamed her for the accident and Hayley's death? Was that what had created the rift between them? Had he been so blind and selfish that he couldn't see how his actions affected Bella?

"That's my point. Sometimes when we're hurting, we see and feel things that aren't necessarily there. Everything is magnified...like when I slapped you." Tessa's cheeks turned red, and she looked embarrassed. "It's not your fault that Mark is here. It's his job, and when I married him I knew certain risks came with the job. Just like when Bella married you. She knew that one day you might bring your job home." She patted the space beside her, and when he sat, she took his hand in hers.

Edward was silent, his brain processing Tessa's words. Was he really too close to the situation to see what was happening? Had he made Bella feel guilty? Unwanted? Hated? He clapped the heel of his hand against his forehead. How could he be so dense?

The doctor's entrance into the room put a halt to any further conversation. Along with his green surgical scrubs, the man wore a smile meant to be comforting, but it only added to the anxiety of the situation.

"Mrs. Grannum?" His eyes moved between Edward and Tessa, and then to their linked hands. He seemed unsure of what the connection was between them. Tessa made her way to her feet with Edward's help.

"Yes, and this is Agent Cullen, a family friend," Tessa explained. Understanding came over the man's face.

"Ah! Nice to meet you, Agent Cullen. I'm Dr. Banner," he said, holding out his hand to Edward. "I assume you'll want to have a word with the other patient?"

Edward shook the doctor's hand. He knew that Dr. Banner was referring to Jacob Black. He wanted to delay that meeting for as long as possible given how he was feeling now and what happened the last time they had been in such close quarters. The temptation to pitch him out of a window was too great at this time. He needed some time to calm himself.

"Eventually," he said, evasively. "Right now I'm more interested in Mark. How is he?"

Dr. Banner looked at Tessa for confirmation that it was acceptable for him to discuss Mark's medical situation with Edward. She nodded.

"Mr. Grannum is still in critical condition, but he's holding his own." He recited the diagnosis as if he was reading it from a medical journal. Edward frowned. "There was some damage to his heart, but if he pulls through, it should heal. As for the other wound to his lung, well we'll just have to wait and see."

Tessa grabbed onto Edward's arm as the tears began to flow once again. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and gave her a comforting squeeze. Dr. Banner's cavalier way of discussing Mark was beginning to get to him.

"H-his lungs?" she sobbed.

Dr. Banner looked sympathetic. "Yes, when he was brought in, his left lung had collapsed. The knife punctured it."

Tessa leaned into Edward as the news seemed to be just another crushing blow added to the ones she had already taken. Over the top of her head, Edward glared at Dr. Banner, who began to look uncomfortable. He pulled at the collar of his shirt and cleared his throat.

"If you like, I've arranged for you to pay your husband a short visit," Dr. Banner said, taking a step towards the door. "He's heavily sedated, so he won't know you're there."

Tessa looked up at Edward, and he smiled encouragingly. He knew she was scared, but it was important for her to see Mark. She needed to confirm that he was still with them.

"Go, I'll be here when you get back," he reassured her, nodding towards the door. "I'm going to go see someone, and then I'll come back here."

Tessa's eyes widened as she understood who the _someone_ was. She had enough information about the history between him and Jacob Black to be worried.

"Behave yourself," she warned, giving him a fierce look. "Mark would be pissed at you if you killed him this time."

Edward grinned, not at all surprised that Tessa knew about the incident in the prison. "Don't worry. I've got everything under control."

But as the door closed behind Tessa and the doctor, he wondered if he really had everything under control. Would he be able to control the urge to inflict violence on Jacob Black when he faced him again? Or would he allow his anger to get the better of him?

***~*~***

Edward showed his ID badge to the two guards standing outside Jacob Black's room and waited patiently as one of them patted him down while the other examined the contents of his bag. Coming across his weapon, the man performing the body search gave him a censored look. Edward withdrew the weapon and handed it over to him, handle first. The man nodded and continued his search. Not finding any more concealed weapons, he gestured for Edward to enter the room.

As Edward entered the room, he put a mental picture of Bella and the other members of his family in the forefront of his mind. He needed to remind himself of what was important, lest he give into the urge that increased in intensity with every step he took.

The brightness of the room surprised him. A part of him expected it to match the soul of its lone occupant—dark, dank and rotting of decay. However, it was no different from any other hospital room. Again, the strong, antiseptic smell washed over him, and he felt his stomach roll ominously. He took a few shallow breaths to minimize the assault on his senses and prepared to wage battle.

"Hello again, Edward," Jacob's mocking voice called to him. "Have you come to finish what you started?"

_So, we're on a first name basis now, are we?_ Edward thought as he took up residence just inside the now closed door. He leaned against it and crossed his arms across his chest. He took in the sight before him and almost choked on the irony of it all.

Jacob Black was lying in bed, his left shoulder bandaged, a look of innocence on his face. Anyone not knowing the true nature of the man would swear that he was one of the most benign creatures in the universe. Jacob reminded him of a sting-ray. You never knew you were in danger until you got too close and it struck.

Edward gave him a smug smile. "I think someone else beat me to it."

Something dark and angry flashed in Jacob's eyes as he continued to stare unblinkingly at Edward. His nostrils flared slightly with each inhalation he took. It was obvious to Edward that Jacob was trying to appear cool, but his anger was getting the better of him. Edward's grin widened as he wondered how much it would take to push the man over the edge. It seemed like since the last time they had met, Jacob was quickly losing his cavalier approach to his situation.

"What do you want?" Jacob demanded, flinching as he pushed himself into a sitting position on the bed.

"I have a few questions about the...incident."

Jacob shrugged slightly, favouring his damaged shoulder. "I already told the police what happened," he snapped, glaring at Edward. "Don't you people communicate?"

Edward ignored Jacob's outburst. "I'm not the police, so why don't you do me the favour of answering the damn question?"

Jacob made an impatient noise and exhaled sharply. "If you insist."

"I do," Edward said, never once breaking eye contact.

"Like I told the police, I was being escorted to breakfast when this guy starts waving his arms and screaming obscenities at me. Next thing I know, he pulls a knife and tries to have a go at me,"

Edward pursed his lips. "So, was this before or after you provoked him?"

Jacob stared at him in disbelief. "Provoked him? Have you been listening to me?" he demanded, angrily. "_He_ attacked _me_. I never even spoke to him. He's just this crazy guy who tried to kill me."

Edward leveled him with a cold look of disdain. "However, you survived, and with minimal injury I might add. Your guard on the other hand, not so lucky. He might die."

A crafty look came over Jacob's face at Edward's reference to Mark.

"My guard or your agent? To whom do you refer?"

Edward was prepared for this line of attack and schooled his features to give nothing away. If anything, he looked slightly surprised.

"Meaning?"

Jacob looked insulted. "Don't give me that. Kit Carson—if that's even his real name, is not a guard. I could smell 'agent' on him as soon as he stepped through the door of my cell," he spat. "Next time you want to put a spy on me, use someone with more experience and more intelligence."

Edward held onto his anger and laughed instead. "If I put an agent on you, you would never know. Paranoid much?"

Jacob glared at him, hatred shooting sparks from his dark eyes. "Liar!"

"Speaking of liars. If I investigate this incident, what do you think I'll find?" Edward asked nonchalantly as he examined the tips of his fingers.

"You'll find a deranged human being who needs to be put away for the rest of his life," Jacob retorted angrily.

Edward grinned, and Jacob gritted his teeth when he realised what his words implied.

"Yes, I would, and I intend to make that person spend the rest of his days rotting in a stinking hole," Edward promised. "But for the record, if I find out that you had anything to do with this, I'll be back, and it will not be pleasant."

Jacob snorted, amused. "Is that a threat, Agent Cullen? Because you can't touch me, and you know that."

Edward shook his head, gripped the door handle, then opened the door. He was done with this conversation. There was only so much he could take, and he had reached his quota of _bullshit_ for the day.

"I'm not the one you have to worry about. If my math is accurate, you have a lot of other reasons to worry. I know for a fact that you messed with some of those people in there. Now they know that you're not invincible, they'll want a piece of you." Edward smiled, but it was devoid of humor. "The only question left is who's going to get to you first, and how many pieces will be left when they're finished?"

Edward looked Jacob up and down, a triumphant smile on his face, and watched in delight as the man grew pale. The ramifications of the situation was now hitting home.

"Have a good day, Jacob. We'll talk again...soon."

***~*~***

It was two in the morning, and Edward was lying awake in bed staring at the off-white, textured acoustic tiles in the ceiling of his hotel room. He had dinner with Tessa earlier, but after escorting her to her room and returning to his, had lay there unable to sleep. He considered calling Bella again, but he knew she had had a hard day and was most likely asleep by now. Peter, the little boy she visited in the hospital, had not improved, and she worried constantly about him. In addition to the ache in her head and leg, she was in a considerable amount of discomfort.

He draped his arm across his eyes and tried to will himself to sleep. It did not work. He was tired, but nothing he did seemed to give him the rest he needed. He felt like he was tossing and turning for hours. There were just too many thoughts going through his overtaxed mind.

The discussion with his father, Bella finally admitting that she loved him, his fight with James, Mark's injuries, Tessa's warning and advice, and last but not least, his conversation with Jacob Black. It was too much for him. His instincts were telling him there was something wrong there, but he would need to go to the prison later and speak with the man who had tried to kill Jacob to confirm his suspicions. He found it a little too coincidental that a man gained access to a weapon in a high-security facility like ADX Florence and gone after one high profile prisoner in particular. He used to believe in coincidences, but not anymore. Something was seriously wrong with the entire attack.

As he examined his theory, he felt his body sink further into the mattress. He sighed as the first fingers of sleep began to pull him under. It was subtle at first, but eventually he felt himself floating away. The day's events had finally taken their toll. With the exception of the one bright moment in his day, everything else reminded him of a domino effect; push one and the others collapsed around you. It could not get any worse, right?

Wrong. He had almost completed drifted off when the ringing of his cell phone jolted him into an upright position. He grabbed the instrument off the bedside table and tried to quell the anxiety growing inside him. His first thoughts were of Mark.

Glancing at the phone's display, he was relieved to see that it wasn't Tessa, but an unfamiliar number with a Denver area code. He answered, steeling himself for the bad news to come.

"Is this Special Agent Edward Cullen?" an unfamiliar male voice queried.

"Yes," Edward replied, the feeling of dread multiplying a hundredfold.

"Sir, this is Agent Robert Carmichael. I'm sorry to call you at this hour, but we need you to come down to the hospital ASAP." Agent Carmichael paused, and Edward heard a flurry of activity in the background. "Uh...there's been an incident."

One thought immediately came to Edward's mind, and he prayed he was wrong. "What incident?" he asked, hoarsely.

"Jacob Black, sir. He's escaped."

The day had officially gone to hell.


	29. Storm Warning

**My sincerest apologies for making you wait so long for this chapter. I was in a considerable amount of pain due to my accident and because of that, I was unable to write like I wanted to. I am feeling much better now, but I still have a lot of healing to do. So, because I have made you wait, I will keep my A/N short.**

**To all those who read, reviewed and PMed me, a great big THANK YOU, go out to you. I also want to thank those who sent me well wishes. You are all incredible. I will mention names next time, but as you can understand, I don't want to create anymore delays.**

**Just an update before I let you get on with the story. **_A Second Chance at Love_** tied third place in the **_"Best Villain"_** category in the 2009 Twilight Awards on this site. Thank you to all those who voted for me. Without you, I would not have won such an honour.**

**Happy Easter, and on with the story………..**

* * *

**Chapter 28 - Storm Warning**

A flash of lightning arced across the sky, illuminating the room, the figure of the woman sleeping in the bed and the man who watched her. The distant rumble of thunder and the rain pounding against the windows drew his attention briefly, but the need to keep watch on his prize brought his eyes back to the bed. From his seated position across the room, he could see every movement Bella made, every breath she took.

She moaned and a choked whimper escaped her lips. He stiffened, afraid she would wake and find him there. It wasn't time yet. There were still things to be put in place. She tossed and turned a while longer, then fell silent once again.

He sighed in relief. In the past thirty minutes, Bella had cried out twice while he was in the room. She was in the throes of some sort of nightmare, but what was it about? He wondered. She muttered a few words, but being this far away, he could not make out what she said.

He stood and moved silently across the carpeted floor, stopping right beside the bed; his knees brushed against the sheet covering the lower half of her body. The tips of his sneakers disappeared beneath the space under the bed. He watched the steady rise and fall of her chest beneath the thin material of her tank top. Reluctantly, he moved his gaze from the creamy tops of her breasts, up to her face. Her brow furrowed and her sweet, pink lips parted slightly; he had never seen such a beautiful sight. Bella wasn't the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, but there was something about her that drew him to her. He belonged to her; he knew that now. Soon, she would belong to him too.

He reached out, and carefully curling his fingers so that they would not brush against her skin, gently lifted a lock of hair from her cheek. The dark mass was disheveled from her constant movements, and created an ebony halo against the paleness of her skin and the pillow. He liked it better short. Her hair had now grown past her shoulders. He would remedy that, once they got together.

As he continued to caress her hair, he fought off the urge to draw closer and bury his face in the fragrant strands. Her unique scent of freesia and vanilla combined had called to him from across the room. It drew him in like a helpless fish caught on a line. Blindfolded in a room, he could identify her by her scent alone. After the incident in Vancouver, her scent stayed with him, invaded the sanctuary of his mind.

Bella sighed again, causing him to drop the lock as if it had suddenly caught fire. He took a few hasty steps backwards until he felt the door's hard surface against his back. _You need to leave. Now!_ the voice in his head ordered. He had been hearing it with increasing frequency, but this was the first time it sounded agitated.

He knew he should listen to the voice, but this was his time, and he did not want to be parted from her yet. He felt that she was about to awake soon. Her movements had become more frequent, her distress more apparent. Still, he could not seem to force himself to leave the room. There was no telling how soon he would have the opportunity again. He liked watching her. It made him feel powerful. He held her life in his very hands. He could extend it or end it as he wished, like he was God.

The thought boosted his confidence. However, his fascination and preoccupation with this woman angered him. The sentimental feelings he developed for her were both obscene and inconvenient. It was like the lion falling in love with the lamb; the predator falling in love with its prey. The thought stopped him cold. Disbelief hit him swiftly in the gut and anger sliced through him.

_No! It can't be._His eyes narrowed as he continued to stare at the source of his distress. There was no way he could have fallen for Bella. It wasn't possible - not for him. For that to happen would be a fate worse than death. To think it would be the darkest form of blasphemy.

He drew in a deep breath and tried to quiet the anxiety growing inside him. He considered himself to be highly intelligent. He could analyse this and see it for what it was. It was an obsession. He nodded. _Yes, that's what it was_. She was his muse, and understandably, he would be obsessed with her. Wasn't that how all great thinkers were? Machiavelli? Nietzsche? They all had an object or person to focus their genius on.

His anxiety abated as his new theory took hold and brought him comfort. He must be losing his mind thinking himself in love with Bella. It was that sort of irrational thinking that put his life in jeopardy and made him sloppy. It was okay for him to have his fun, but in the end there could only be one conclusion in this story - Bella's death. A sliver of regret speared him in the chest at the thought of ending her life, but then clarity quickly took over. She was a minor inconvenience, unimportant. She was just another person who provided a source of entertainment for him. It gave him great satisfaction to know that he could "play" with her life and she had absolutely no control over the situation.

He glanced at his watch. The glowing hands confirmed his suspicions. He had been there for almost an hour now, much longer than he planned. When he first entered the house, he did it as a test. He wanted to see if Cullen's security was as lax as he suspected. He was able to gain access to the inside because the security system was not engaged. He smiled at the irony of the situation. In Vancouver, Bella's little dog posed more of a problem to him that the security system Cullen had in place here. He still had the scar on his calf where the mongrel had sunk its vicious little teeth into his flesh. Thinking back, it was worth it; he found his purpose again that night.

_Leave, now!_ the voice commanded again. It was angry now, and for a brief moment, it reminded him of his father. He shook off his fear as memories of his father's brutality resurfaced. He pulled on the door to the hall, took one last look at Bella and then closed it quietly behind him.

He was still leaning against the door when a beam of light broke the barrier of darkness beneath the door. He gasped and shot off down the hallway, bumping into one of the walls in his haste to escape. As he took the stairs two at a time, he silently berated himself for his carelessness. A few seconds more and he might have been discovered. The voice in his head laughed with glee. _Would serve you right,_ it chortled. He darted through the dark kitchen and bumped into a chair as he went by, then exited the house through the backdoor.

He sprinted through the rain, sliding on the wet grass as he made his way across the back lawn. He wanted to put as much distance between him and the house as possible. Once he reached the safety of his car parked behind a small group of trees, he relaxed and breathed easier. The voice was now silent, but he mentally flipped it the bird for good measure.

He unlocked the doors, and quickly tugged off the cold, damp jacket and shirt he wore. From the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of white sticking out from one of his jacket pockets. He smiled at the trophy from his expedition. Before finding Bella in another bedroom, he entered hers first and took a shirt from the pile in the laundry basket. Her sweet fragrance flooded the interior of the car.

He brought the shirt closer to his face, then groaned as the blood flow was temporarily cut off from the rest of his body and redirected to his groin. The image of Bella lying in bed, the dusky tips of her nipples peeping through her shirt, slammed into his brain. He gripped the soft material and drew in a ragged breath.

This had gone on longer than he planned. If he had stuck to his original plan, she would be dead by now. But she had changed that plan; she had changed everything - including him. She captured his soul like a child caught a jarful of fireflies on a summer's evening. Yes, she held his soul prisoner. However, unlike the fireflies, he intended to break free of his prison and exact his revenge upon his warden. It was time to rock that safe little world she cocooned herself inside. It was time to prepare her for the end.

**~*~*~**

Bella sat up, brushed her hair from her eyes and looked around the room in confusion. It was still dark, and she turned to squint at her alarm clock in its usual place on her bedside table. The glowing, red numbers were absent. It was then that she remembered she had fallen asleep in Edward's bed.

She flopped back against the pillows and rubbed at her eyes with the back of her hand. Something had awoken her, but she did not know what it was. She felt uneasy, and she squinted into the darkness as her eyes adjusted to the dim conditions.

She listened to the sounds of the night. The rain tapping against the roof and the wind blowing around the house sent a shiver running through her body. She longed to feel Edward's warm, solid body beside her, his arms around her keeping her safe and secure.

Another shiver ran through her body, telling her that the temperature dropped sometime during the night. The pajama pants and tank top she wore were no longer adequate for warding off the chill. Switching on the bedside lamp, she slid out of the bed and made her way over to Edward's walk-in closet.

After switching on the light, she looked for something warm to wear. She decided on a black, hooded sweater with the words _University of WA_ printed across the back in red letters. The condition of the fabric told her that it was worn often. As she stood with the sweater in her hands, she had a flash of a younger version of herself slipping the sweater over Edward's head and stepping back to assess how it fit. She gave it to him as a gift. She buried her face in the folds of the sweater and inhaled. Edward's scent was permanently embedded in the threads of the fabric. A lump rose in her throat. She was touched that he kept it after all this time.

Slipping the sweater over her head, she sighed contentedly as the heavy material engulfed her. She rolled up the too long sleeves, switched off the closet light, and made her way back to the bed.

Sliding between the cooled sheets, a feeling of desolation came over her. She missed Edward so much, she felt like she couldn't breathe. When he confessed his love earlier, she almost begged him to come home. It took everything she had to resist the temptation. It would be unfair of her to place her wants and needs above his. Wasn't that what he had been doing all these months? Placing her needs above his? Taking care of her? His job was important, and missing him was not a reason for her to pull him away from it. He also had a lot on his mind and she did not want to add to the burden.

During their conversation, Edward told her about his friend and fellow agent, Mark, and how he was injured while working on an assignment he sent him on. She heard the pain and frustration in Edward's voice when he said Mark's name. She knew he blamed himself.

Bella was still thinking about the effect of this incident on Edward when she felt sleep tug at the edges of her consciousness. She settled against the comfortable pillows, and felt her eyelids grow heavy. She blinked and tried to force her eyes to stay open, as the fear of falling asleep engulfed her.

The past few nights, she could not remember her dreams...until last night. The dream was hazy and fragmented, but she remembered darkness, fear, the smell of blood and pain - gut wrenching, mind numbing pain. Tonight disjointed voices were added to the scene. The darkness was terrifying enough, but not being able to understand what the voices said was even more terrifying. She got the feeling that what they said was important, but the harder she listened, the harder it was for her to concentrate. After a while, the voices blurred into one and then fell silent, leaving her trapped in the dark.

Bella drew the sweater closer and tried to put a stop to the tremors coursing through her body. She would have loved to go to Alice and lay her fears at her feet, but Jasper decided to stay over and she did not want to intrude.

Over dinner last night, Alice loosened up and they actually had their first normal conversation in what seemed like ages. It was almost like old times, and Bella hoped it was a sign that their friendship was on the mend. She loved Alice. It would break her heart if the friendship came to an end because of the change between her and Edward.

A muffled _thump_ coming from the hallway made her sit back up. She waited and listened for any sound that would identify what she just heard. Other than the wind blowing through the trees, the rattling of the windows and the steady rhythm of the raindrops on the roof, there was nothing else.

Thinking it was her imagination, she relaxed and was just about to drift off when the sound came again. This time, it came from downstairs and was louder.

Consternation went through her as she realized there might be an intruder in the house. She couldn't remember if anyone had engaged the alarm before they retired for the night. All she could remember was watching Edward disengage the system before he left for work.

A flash of bravery coursed through Bella, and she reached beside the bed and grabbed her cane. Her feet made no sound as they touched the carpeted floor. As she crept towards the door, she wondered if she was losing her senses. She was one woman - a disabled one at that, with a cane. If an intruder was in the house how much of a threat did she pose? He would probably laugh at her and proceed to club her to death with her own cane. She shook her head to dispel her fears and continued towards the door. She would not go down without a fight. The least she could do was to inflict some damage while she screamed her head off. That would surely wake Alice and Jasper, as well as the rest of the neighbourhood.

Reaching the door, she drew in a deep breath before opening it a crack. She peeked out into the hallway and found it empty. She stepped into the hallway and using the right wall as her marker, made her way towards the stairs. The sound of her wildly beating heart pounded in her ears like a bass drum. The noise was so loud that she could hardly think.

As she passed Alice's door, she considered knocking but thought better of it. If it was just her overactive imagination, then she would feel foolish waking them for no good reason other than being afraid of the dark. She was officially on her own.

Another muted thump stopped Bella in her tracks as she descended the stairs. This time the sound came from outside. _Maybe that's what I heard the first time._ Maybe the sound originated from outside and not inside like she first thought.

Gripping the smooth, cool wood of the banister, Bella continued down the remaining steps. The voice of reason told her that this course of action was stupid. She should not be doing this alone, especially in the dark. She might fall and break her stupid, stubborn neck.

Just as her foot was about to hit the bottom stair, her entire perspective shifted. The sound of the falling rain disappeared, and silence permeated the room. Suddenly, she was at her house in Vancouver, staring down a set of steep steps that disappeared into the bowels of the basement. Bella tried to catch her breath as fear coursed through her, but there seemed to be steel bands across her chest, growing tighter by the second. Her brain told her that she was standing on the stairs in Edward's house in Washington, but her fear and her perceived surroundings told her otherwise.

Everything then happened like a movie. She stepped across the threshold of the doorway and onto the first step. The darkness enveloped her, pressing at her from all sides like a living thing. It was malevolent, and it scared her. She knew something was waiting for her, but she couldn't seem to stop herself from playing out the scene.

By instinct, she reached for the cord for the light switch and tugged it. She heard a click, but the light did not come on. A noise to her left made her turn towards it, and she heard her voice say in the darkness, _Charlie, is that you? This is not funny, Charlie. I'm going back upstairs and it's no biscuits for a week._The sensation of being trapped overwhelmed her, so she took a step backwards. Then it happened. Arms grabbed her from behind and cold, sharp metal was pressed against her throat.

As quickly as it began, the memory ended and her surroundings changed once more. The sounds of the rain and the wind dispelled the eerie stillness and Bella felt the cool, comforting surface of the banister beneath her hand. She froze, her eyes rolled beneath her lids and her skull seemed to split in two. A scream lodged in Bella's throat as she felt herself falling backwards against the stairs. A sharp pain exploded in her hip and back where the sharp edge of the stair caught her on her way down. She landed with a thump and then slid down the remaining stairs until her rear end touched the cold, flat surface of the floor. She sat there dazed and trembling as the room swam dizzily around her.

Slowly, the swirling room steadied and she realised where she was. She wasn't in the basement in Vancouver looking for Charlie with her attacker waiting to end her life, she was home in Washington. She was safe.

As the realisation of what just happened came to her, Bella shoved her fist into her mouth as a gurgling sound tried to force its way past her lips. Without a doubt, she just remembered her attack. Tears streamed down her cheeks as terror and bone-chilling fear tied her stomach into knots and sent her entire body into a spasm. She grabbed her head and clenched her teeth as the pain increased, causing her stomach to pitch like a tiny boat in the middle of a stormy ocean.

Moving quickly on all fours, Bella crawled towards the guest bathroom. She barely made it before her stomach revolted. She kicked the door closed so the noise of her throwing up would not carry and wake Alice and Jasper.

Straightening her cramped body, Bella leaned against the wall beside the toilet and gasped for breath. She reached up with one hand, flushed the toilet, and rubbed her still trembling stomach with the other. She closed her eyes and tried to calm herself. The memory was intense and terrifying. It seemed so real. She rubbed the area of her throat where her attacker had placed the knife. She could still feel the cold metal on her skin, feel his body against hers. She felt her fear and helplessness try to drag her under again, until she was a sobbing, useless mess. Would this ever be over? Something told her the worst was yet to come.

* * *

Alice watched as Bella scooped the soggy cereal at the bottom of her bowl into a pile with her spoon. Using the utensil, she molded the cereal until it resembled a crudely constructed version of Mount Rainier. She stared at it, and finding something lacking, swung the spoon from her fingers like a pendulum, demolishing the mountain.

Alice took a sip of her orange juice and continued to watch Bella as she went about repeating this for the third time. She sensed something was wrong from the moment she and Jasper stepped into the kitchen at 6:30am and found Bella vigorously mopping the kitchen floor. Cooking she could understand, but mopping was an entirely different affair. Cleaning house at such an early time in the day usually signified Bella was troubled about something.

She was also unusually preoccupied, and at first Alice assumed it was due to Edward's absence. But the more she watched her friend, she realised that it was something else. Jasper picked up on the vibes and told Alice that he would get breakfast at the hospital, kissed her and left. He could see that something was bothering Bella and wanted to give them some time alone.

Alice reached over and plucked the spoon from Bella's fingers. She turned to Alice, a questioning look on her face.

"Bella, what's wrong?" Alice asked softly. "And don't tell me it's nothing. I know you better than that."

Bella stared at the cold, congealed mass that was her cereal and drew in a shaky breath. She clenched her free hand into a fist and gently pounded the tabletop beside the bowl.

"I heard something last night, and I came downstairs," she began, her voice trembling. "I thought it might be an intruder..."

Alice's eyes widened. "You did what?" she thundered, standing. Her sudden movement rocked her chair, sending it crashing to the floor. "Are you insane? What if someone had been in here? He could have killed you! Why didn't you wake me and Jasper?"

Bella's cheeks grew red. "I thought it was my imagination," she reasoned. "I would have felt foolish waking you for nothing."

"I don't care," Alice screeched, leaning across the table, her face inches from Bella's. "You should have come to me. What if something happened to you? What if you had fallen?"

Bella's face grew redder and she averted her eyes from Alice's piercing gaze. Her trip down the stairs had given her a nice bruise across her lower back and her hip. She was still thinking how she was going to explain it to Edward when he returned. Telling him the truth was out of the question; he had too much to deal with already. She promised herself she would never lie to him. There were too many lies and misunderstandings between them already.

"You fell, didn't you?" Alice accused, her grey eyes narrowed into slits. She reached over, placed her index finger under Bella's chin and forced her to look her in the eye. "Didn't you?"

Bella nodded reluctantly. "But it's not as bad as you think. Just a few bruises."

Alice closed her eyes and shook her head. An image of finding Bella at the bottom of the stairs with a broken neck went through her mind. She should have been there for Bella. She felt guilty that in her time of need, Bella chose to face the unknown danger rather than come to her. They never lived like that, but then it was her fault. If she wasn't being such a bitch about Edward's and Bella's rekindled romance, Bella would not have hesitated to come to her.

"Alice, I'm okay, I swear," Bella protested, grabbing her bowl and taking it over to the sink. She tried to shove the new memory into the back of her mind, but she suddenly had the urge to talk to Alice about it. She turned, wrapped her arms around her body to ward off the shivers. "But I had another memory." She licked her dry lips. "I remembered the night I was attacked."

Alice gasped and quickly came over to her. "Are you okay?"

Bella shook her head as the tears came to the surface. "N-no. I went to get Charlie. He was in the basement, I think. I tried to switch on the light, but it wouldn't work," she cried. "H-he was waiting, in the dark. He grabbed me and put a knife to my throat. I remember thinking that I hoped Charlie was still alive." The tears streamed unhindered down her cheeks. "How dumb is that, right? I was about to lose my life and I was worried about a dog?"

Alice drew Bella's shaking body to her and held on tight as she cried. All the pain and fear she experienced that night came out in her tears. It was a while before she quieted, but all that time Alice just held her, whispering soothing words in her ear.

"I can still feel the knife on my skin, feel his body on mine," Bella sobbed, her voice muffled by Alice's shoulder. "I can't get it out of my head. I was so scared."

"It's okay, Bella. It's over," Alice promised, trying unsuccessfully to hold her own tears inside. She could not begin to imagine the horror Bella had been through that night. There were no words that could soothe her fear and pain; no magical cure to make everything better. This was something that Bella would always live with. "I think I should call Edward."

Bella pulled away and shook her head vigorously. She quickly wiped away her tears with the back of her hand. "No! He's got too much to deal with right now." She drew in a deep breath, "Besides, there's nothing he can do. Dr. Masen and Carlisle warned me this might happen. I'll have to get used to it."

The words spewing from her mouth sounded brilliant and brave, but she knew it was all false bravado, and apparently so did Alice.

"Bella---" Alice pleaded.

Bella turned away and gripped the edges of the counter. Her shoulders slumped forward. "No. I need to deal with this. I can't go running to Edward every time something bad happens." She knew Alice disagreed with her method of handling this, but it was her choice and she was sticking with it. She turned to Alice and gave her a steady glare. "I mean it, Alice. You're not to tell Edward about this."

Alice took a step back under Bella's heated gaze. She had not seen her this way in a long time - not since the night she told off Liam and Edward at the club. This was the Bella she was accustomed to—the stubborn, pig-headed woman who faced everything head on. So much had changed since the night Bella was attacked.

"Okay, I won't tell him," Alice said stubbornly, her chin tilted defiantly. "But if it gets worse, I will. You can't go through this alone and as much as it galls me, you need Edward and he needs you."

Bella raised a questioning eyebrow at Alice's cryptic statement. Alice pressed her lips together hoping that she hadn't said too much. She knew that eventually, Bella and Edward were going to need each other in order to heal. Bella still had no memory of Hayley, but when she did, it would be as if she lost her little girl all over again.

Before she returned to Washington, Alice hoped that Edward was now better equipped emotionally, to deal with the loss of Hayley. But, she realised he was no closer to dealing with it than he was four years ago. In fact, he had not dealt with it at all. He just pushed the memory of the little girl into the back of his mind, and shut his emotions down. For that, Alice wanted to beat the crap out of him. When Bella finally remembered the reason she left Edward, it was going to be worse than before - way worse, and she knew she was going to be caught in the middle.

Alice sighed. She once had a premonition of this thing bursting wide open, obliterating all parties involved. That was one of the reasons she was so pissed with Edward. He was actively carrying on a relationship with Bella without being completely honest with her. When Bella finally remembered, she was going to feel incredibly betrayed.

Alice remembered when Bella first moved into her apartment in Vancouver after returning from Renee's funeral. She was a complete mess. Losing her daughter, her marriage and her mother in the span of eighteen months was too much for her to handle. She completely broke down. On the days when she couldn't manage to convince Bella to accompany her to the café, she always worried that she would find Bella hanging from the roof when she returned home.

Those first few months were the worst, but eventually things got better, and Bella took control of her life. She started taking photos again, tutored at the university and helped her manage the café. She began to live again. Alice was afraid that when everything finally came out, Bella would go through that period of depression again. But this time, the pain would be a hundred times worse and maybe she wouldn't survive.

"I'll be okay," Bella said, her voice bringing Alice out of her thoughts. 'Don't worry too much about me."

But Alice worried every moment of every day. She knew this was going to end badly, and when the dust settled, she might lose her best friend.

**~*~*~**

Edward closed the door behind him and took a seat across from the man he had come to the prison to meet. The man responsible for putting Mark in the hospital, and who might have been in on a plot to assist in Jacob's escape from custody. The man was already seated, his arms secured with handcuffs to the arms of his chair. It reminded Edward of the last time he was here, watching the guards chain Jacob Black to prevent his escape. It all struck Edward as being extremely ironic now.

Nathan Hunte was not what Edward expected. He expected a large, brutish man with a surly disposition, anger and hatred pouring from him in waves. With his thinning chestnut coloured hair, brown eyes enhanced by the lenses of his wire-rimmed glasses, and nose a shade too long for his thin face, Nathan reminded Edward of a librarian or an accountant.

On his way to the prison, Edward glanced briefly at Nathan's file and immediately knew something was wrong. A few things did not add up.

Nathan Hunte was being incarcerated for the brutal murder of a man. Transcripts of Nathan's confession and testimony stated that he killed the man in self-defense. He came home and found the man in his house, his wife bound, beaten and gagged. A fight broke out and he killed him. However, some evidence surfaced that implicated Hunte's wife as having an affair with the intruder. By the time the prosecutor finished presenting the evidence, it looked as if Hunte walked in on them, killed the man in a fit of jealous rage and then physically abused his wife. Both Hunte and his wife denied it under oath, but in the end, the jury found him guilty and sentenced him to fifty years in prison.

Something about the entire trial and the so called _evidence_ struck Edward as strange. Where did the evidence come from? Why weren't there any proven ties connecting Nathan's wife to the intruder? The entire thing screamed of a set-up.

Edward pulled out a digital voice recorder from his pocket and positioned it on the desk between them. He noted that Nathan's eyes followed his movements as he pressed the "on" button of the recorder. But other than that, he sat unusually still. It reminded Edward of a small animal trying to make itself invisible to a predator.

"Mr. Hunte, my name is Edward Cullen, Special Agent with the F.B.I. I have a few questions to ask you."

Nathan looked at him, and then his gaze went to the one-way mirror behind Edward's left shoulder. He frowned and quickly dropped his eyes to the table-top.

"I know who you are," Nathan said, a ghost of a smile on his lips. "You're that agent that put Black in the hospital a few months ago."

Edward winced and cleared his throat. "Yes, but we're not here to talk about me. We're here to discuss your attempt on Jacob Black's life and the attempted murder of a guard. I want to know what happened."

Nathan shrugged, his gaze still on the table. "What's there to tell? I tried to kill Jacob Black and the other guy got in the way. It's as simple as that." He spoke as if he had rehearsed his speech - possibly even been coached.

Edward leaned across the table and rested his elbows on its top. He stared at Nathan in silence until the man was forced to look up at him. Nathan's eyes widened and he swallowed convulsively.

"Is it?" Edward asked. "From my experience, things aren't always what they appear to be."

Disbelief flashed across Nathan's face. "I told you, I tried to kill him. Why all the questions? It's as plain as the nose on your face."

Edward stared Nathan in the eye and what he saw was at complete odds with what was coming out of his mouth. He sounded flippant, hostile, angry, but his eyes reflected his true feelings - he was scared.

The hair on the back of Edward's neck stood on end. It was as if someone was watching him. He glanced over his shoulder towards the security glass. He caught Nathan doing the same, confirming his suspicions. Someone was watching them and Nathan was fully aware of it. That's why he was being so evasive and defensive. He knew someone was listening.

Edward suspected that Nathan had information pertinent to his investigation, but there was no way to get the information out of him in this environment. An idea came to him. If Nathan was unwilling to talk here, then he would need to take him somewhere else.

He stood up quickly and watched Nathan shrink back against his chair, like he thought Edward would hit him. Almost immediately, the door flew open and two guards stepped inside. They both wore wary expressions, their hands in close proximity to their weapons. Edward assumed that they had been instructed to keep an eye on him given his behavior last time.

"Something wrong, Agent Cullen?" one of the men asked politely; a little too polite, as far as Edward was concerned. The diplomacy sounded forced.

The other guard he had met during his last visit. He remembered Mark calling him Frank. Frank eyed him suspiciously before giving Nathan a sharp, warning look. Nathan grew pale, and Edward filed the guard's name into his mental rolodex for further investigation.

"No, I just need to stretch my legs for a bit and I want Mr. Hunte to accompany me," he said, his tone indicating that he wasn't in the mood to have any discussions about the matter.

The two men looked at each other with uncomfortable and surprised expressions on their faces. Edward's request was unexpected and unwelcome.

"Uh, that's not allowed," the polite one muttered, his eyes shifting briefly to the one way mirror. "It's not procedure."

"Neither is having one of your own practically stabbed to death and an inmate on the loose, but there you have it," Edward retorted, eyeing the men with disdain. "If you have a problem granting my request, then maybe I should talk to my superiors and have them make it for me."

There was no mistaking what Edward meant, and the two men bristled under the threat. They glared at him with angry, resentful eyes. Edward glared back, his eyes never wavering. If they wanted him to call in the big guns, he would. But he was not stepping foot out of that prison until he spoke with Nathan alone. He needed to find out how he was connected to Jacob's escape and who provided him with the weapon that hurt Mark.

The stand-off between Edward and the two guards continued as Nathan stared from Edward to the men and back to Edward again. Finally, Frank relaxed and nodded.

"Wait here," he instructed, grudgingly. "I'll have a word with the Warden."

"You do that," Edward said through gritted teeth. Frank gave him another dirty look before disappearing through the door.

The other guard continued to stand in the doorway watching them with a grim expression on his face. He kept sneaking furtive glances towards the mirrored wall and Edward wondered who was standing in the room behind the glass watching them. Was it the same person who orchestrated the attack? Was that person working for or against Jacob Black? Edward had two theories, but he needed to question Nathan before he could confirm either.

Frank returned fifteen minutes later with a frustrated look on his face. He nodded to the other guard who stared at him in disbelief. Frank then turned to Edward and narrowed his eyes.

"We've been _instructed_" -- he placed emphasis on the word like it was something dirty and distasteful— "to escort you and Hunte to the exterior recreation area. You have thirty minutes, so make it count."

Edward nodded. Thirty minutes was all he would need. By the time he was finished, he would have the answers he sought and the appropriate heads would roll - beginning with Frank's. There wasn't a shadow of doubt in Edward's mind that Frank was dirty.

Dirty law enforcement officials disgusted him. It was people like Frank who eroded the foundation of the justice system. It was people like him that gave them a bad name and made their jobs more difficult.

Edward and Nathan were escorted to the empty recreation area and left alone. As Frank turned to return inside, he gave Nathan another warning look. When he caught Edward observing the exchange, he quickly disappeared through the doors.

The recreation area doubled as a courtyard and was half the size of a football field. It was equipped with metal benches and tables bolted to the floor, and various pieces of exercise equipment. The wide area was completely enclosed by a ten foot high, chain-link fence topped by double coils of razor wire.

Edward escorted Nathan across the concrete floor to one of the benches at the far end of the yard, then took a seat opposite him. He stared out through fence where the rest of the prison compound went about their daily business. Vehicles rumbled across a lot to the east sending clouds of dust into the air, while a few prisoners were being shuttled to and from another red painted building.

The bite of the wind against his cheek reminded Edward that they were now into the start of winter. He was surprised that the air remained dry and the sky clear. Colorado was known for its extremely unpredictable weather, and as he made his way over to the prison, the local weather forecast predicted a heavy snowfall within the next twenty-four hours. Edward hoped the impending weather would restrict Jacob's movements, making it easier to catch him before he left the state. Once he left Colorado, it would be more difficult to track him, and the danger to other civilians would increase.

"Do you feel more talkative now?" Edward queried, his eyes still on the activities happening beyond the fence.

Nathan was silent, and when Edward looked at him, he was shaking his head slowly. "I know you think you did me a favour back there, Agent Cullen, but what you did actually makes my life more difficult."

Edward raised an eyebrow. "How do you figure that?"

Nathan sighed. "From the moment I stepped through those doors with you, my life was over." He didn't sound upset, just accepting of his fate.

"That's not going to happen," Edward reassured.

"'Course it will," Nathan scoffed. "I'm no longer useful to them. I've become a liability." He gave Edward a sad smile. "But that's okay. I accepted my fate a long time ago."

Edward glanced at his watch. Time was running out. "Like I said, nothing is going to happen to you as long as I'm here."

"What about when you leave? Unless you intend to sleep beside me in my cell, I'm as good as dead."

Edward frowned. "Tell me what happened," he instructed. "Tell me what you know and I'll try to keep you safe."

Nathan stared off in a distance, his eyes focusing but not really seeing his surroundings. Indecision and uncertainty warred on his face, but then the look disappeared and was replaced by resolve. When he returned his attention to Edward, his lips were set in a firm line, his eyes steady.

"I'll make a deal with you," Nathan said. "I'll tell you what I know, but you've got to do me a favour in return."

Nathan's decision took Edward by surprise. He went from accepting that he was going to die, to wanting to cut a deal to save his neck, in the space of a few seconds. Maybe he was wrong about the man after all. Maybe he was just a common thug who deserved to be exactly where he was. Nathan stiffened when he saw the look on Edward's face. His eyes narrowed behind the reflective surface of his lenses.

"It's not for me," he said through gritted teeth. "It's for my wife and daughter. I talk and you make sure they're safe. That's all I ask."

Edward was silent and then he reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone. He shifted position so that his back was to the main building, to block prying eyes from viewing what he was about to do. He quickly dialed Shannon's personal cell phone, waited for the man to answer and then placed the call on speakerphone so that Nathan could hear both sides of the conversation.

"I need a favour," he said, his eyes never leaving Nathan's. "I need you to arrange for Nathan Hunte's wife and daughter to be placed in protective custody."

"How soon?" Shannon barked into the phone.

"Now," Edward said. "But I want my people on it and no one else, okay?"

Shannon was silent. "I'll send Wynters."

"No, not him," Edward blurted out. "I need someone whose mind is on the job. I'll explain when I return."

"Fine, it's done."

Edward disconnected the call, returned the phone to his pocket and looked at Nathan expectantly. "I did as you asked. Now's its time you kept your end of the bargain. Tell me what you know."

"Fine. What do you want to know?"

"Why did you attack Jacob Black?"

Nathan smiled grimly. "Because I was told to. Well, not told exactly, I was given a choice. Put him out of commission temporarily or my family would be put out permanently." He shrugged. "I figured it was better him than my family, so I did as they asked."

Edward was taken aback by Nathan's nonchalance at the entire matter of putting another human being "out of commission." His surprise must have shown on his face because Nathan chuckled.

"Don't give me that look, Agent Cullen. I'm quite sure if you were placed in my position you would have done the same thing."

Edward was silent as he thought about how his situation almost mirrored Nathan's - except, he was never given the chance to save his family. That choice was taken away from him, along with two of the most important things in his life - his wife and daughter.

Nathan smiled knowingly. "You don't have to say, I can see it in your eyes. If you had to kill Jacob Black to protect your family, you would in a heartbeat."

Edward shifted uncomfortably. It was as if Nathan was reading his mind. "That's not the point now, is it? The point is, you made a decision that affects countless lives. While I understand why you did, it was still selfish."

Nathan looked sad and horrified. "I didn't have a choice, don't you understand that? They said they would kill Amy, a-and do things to Allison. She's only fifteen, Agent Cullen. Fifteen! She has every right to live, to be happy."

Edward stiffened. "Who threatened them, Nathan? Help me out here so I know what I'm dealing with."

"This is bigger than you or me," Nathan argued, clenching his fist. "There are too many people involved."

Edward smiled grimly. 'You're right. And those people used you to help Jacob Black escape. Do you understand that Nathan? They used you and your family," Edward leveled his finger at Nathan's chest. "And given the chance, the same man you helped to escape will kill someone else's wife and daughter. I'm protecting yours, but who's protecting all the other wives and daughters out there?"

Nathan went ghostly pale when Edward informed him of Jacob's escape. His mouth opened and closed like a large goldfish. From Nathan's reaction, Edward finally had his proof. The man had no idea what he had done when he attacked Jacob, but now his role became clear.

"H-he escaped?"

Edward nodded. "This morning. He killed a nurse and two F.B.I agents. One of those agents had a six month old son, but thanks to _you_, he no longer has a father. Thanks to you, the guard _you_ stabbed might not live to see his child come into this world. His wife is pregnant, Nathan. Do you fully understand what _you_ have done?" Edward's voice was hard and biting. "Do you understand that because you put yourself and your family first, _you_ condemned others to suffer and die in your place?" Edward slammed his fist onto the tabletop. "Help me. Tell me who's behind this."

Nathan dropped his face into the palm of his hands and sobbed. He muttered the words, _Oh my God, oh my God! What have I done?_over and over. When he raised his eyes to meet Edward's, they were desolate.

"Frank," he blurted out. "He's the one who threatened my family and gave me the knife. He's the direct link to the person who's doing all this."

Edward frowned. "When you say direct link, are you talking about Jacob Black?" Nathan shook his head. "Warden Chase?"

Nathan snorted. "Warden Chase is a paper-pushing, politician. He has no idea what goes on in this place." Nathan's voice dripped anger and resentment. "That man only thinks of ways to further his political career. We're nothing to him but stepping stones on his way to the White House."

Edward knew Nathan was right in his assumptions about the warden. From the first time he met him, he knew what type of person he was dealing with. Warden Andrew Chase was an aspiring politician and would do anything to make his prison shine amongst all others. But Edward did not think he would go as far as to help Jacob Black escape. Andrew Chase was a straight-laced, by-the-book, sort of man who valued his squeaky clean reputation above all else. There was no way he was involved in this.

"So, who?" Edward asked, running through the chain of command at the prison in his head. The leak had to be someone in authority, someone close to the top.

"Try Deputy Warden Thomas," Nathan shivered when he said the man's name. "He's a nasty piece of work. You need anything in here and you have enough money, he can get it for you. How do you think he can afford his lifestyle on the salary he makes?"

Edward's eyes widened. "How do you know all this?"

Nathan grinned. "I used to be an Accountant, so when I first came here, he asked me to fix something for him. I had to take a look at his financial records in order to do it. He's loaded, and unless he has a very rich, very dead aunt, he can't afford to live like that." Nathan looked down at Edward's shoes. "Kenneth Cole, right?"

Edward gave Nathan a surprised look. "Yeah, how did you know?"

Nathan shook his head. "Check Thomas's shoes. He wears Armani Classic Lace-Ups. They're about $450.00 a pair." Nathan looked smug. "What Deputy Warden do you know can afford to wear shoes like that to work?"

Edward shook his head and smiled. "Were you a shoe salesman and an Accountant?"

"And a Pharmacist, at one point in time," Nathan said proudly, a new respect for Edward showing in his eyes.

Edward sat quietly as he thought about all Nathan told him. If it was true - and he suspected it was - the man's life was in danger. The moment he left, Nathan would be dead in a matter of minutes. He had to admit, he liked the man, regardless of what he had done. It also made him realise something.

"You're innocent, aren't you?" Edward's words were more a statement than a question. Nathan's eyes widened in surprise. "You were defending your family when you killed that man."

Nathan lowered his eyes and shook his head. "No one believed me. Then the evidence came out of nowhere and everything just went downhill from there." Nathan's voice was rough. "My family had to move away after I was convicted. People believed the lies, tormented them. They called my wife a whore and said bad things about us to our daughter." He looked up at Edward again, his eyes beseeching and moist. "That's why you have to keep them safe. They've been through too much because of me. I don't want to die worrying about them. Understand?"

"You're not going to die, trust me." Edward took out his cell phone once again and made a call. "Shannon, I need another favour, and I need you to send back-up to the prison. We've got a situation."

* * *

Jacob walked into the bathroom at the back of the diner and locked the door behind him. He looked around the surprisingly clean area and placed his bag on the counter beside the sink. He glanced briefly at his reflection in the mirror before gingerly drawing the black T-shirt he wore over his head. Blood stained his skin and soaked the bandage covering his shoulder. He placed the T-shirt beside the bag, washed his hands and began removing the soiled bandages.

He hissed when the gauze stuck to the stitches and sent pain shooting through his shoulder. He pulled the gauze away and with shaking hands, he twisted the top off the bottle of peroxide and poured it over the wound. He gritted his teeth as the solution bubbled around the stitched edges of his skin and seeped into the cut.

When the burning subsided, he ripped open a new bandage and placed it over the area. Blood immediately stained the white material, but he didn't care. All he wanted was to bandage it and be on his way.

His escape from the hospital was not as difficult as he thought it would be when he first planned it months ago. Actually, it had been obscenely easy. During his overnight stay last time, he realised how lax the security was in the hospital. It hadn't been difficult to trick the nurse into coming to him to administer more pain medication. Her kind heart and the need to care for her patient resulted in her death.

As for the two F.B.I agents on guard duty, they were a bit more difficult. But they were no match for him, despite his injury. A broken neck and a stab wound to the jugular put a halt to their valiant efforts to thwart his escape.

However, the altercations partially reopened his wound. By the time he made his way downstairs and into the car Deputy Warden Thomas arranged to have waiting for him, the front of the doctor's coat he stole was soaked with blood. The open wound throbbed like a son-of-a-bitch. His driver, a man he had never seen before, took one look at him, grunted and threw a bag at him. The bag was filled with first-aid supplies, toiletries, clothes, and a set of new identification documents. A wad of dollar bills in various denominations was also tucked into the bag.

After bandaging his shoulder, Jacob slipped on a black turtleneck shirt and then covered that with another long-sleeved checkered shirt. He popped into his mouth two of the broad-spectrum antibiotic pills he found among the first-aid supplies and washed them down with a mouthful of the raspberry flavored iced tea he purchased from the gas station across the street. It was of a significantly poorer quality than what he was accustomed to, but in comparison to what he had been forced to consume during the past three years, it was heaven. He quickly emptied the contents of the bottle and instead of throwing it into the trash, he stuffed it, the used bandages and soiled T-shirt into a plastic bag for proper discard later. Leaving them there could pinpoint his whereabouts to the authorities_,_ and eventually lead them to him. He still had a few loose ends to tie up before he left the country, and he wanted to have them done as neatly as possible.

A knock on the door startled him. He shoved the plastic bag into the bag containing his newly received gifts. He pulled a cap down over his brow, and glancing around the room to ensure there were no traces of him left, unlocked the door. His driver was standing there, a disgruntled and impatient expression on his face.

"We're going to have to leave now if we want to make it to the state line before dark," he said, turning abruptly and walking towards the car parked across the lot. "From the report I just got, all hell's broken loose."

Jacob got into the car and stared at the man. He got the distinct impression that the man did not like him. He could not comprehend why, but whatever the man's reasons, Jacob's patience was wearing thin. He had had to take other people's orders for the past three years. Now that he was free, he had no intention of taking orders from anyone - especially a lackey like this man.

"What's happened?" he demanded as they drove out of the lot with a screech of tyres and the smell of burning rubber.

The man frowned, his eyes still on the road ahead. "Seems like some big-shit F.B.I agent locked down the prison. Thomas and a few of the guards have been taken into federal custody. The whole place is in an uproar."

Jacob gritted his teeth. "This F.B.I. agent have a name?"

The man gave him a dirty look out of the corner of his eye. "Don't know, don't care. All I know is that I'm supposed to get you across the state line and you're on your own after that." The words "good riddance" were unspoken but obvious.

Jacob frowned. He knew it was Edward Cullen he spoke of. The man had taken perverse delight in reminding him what a precarious position the attack placed him in. Jacob smiled. He wondered who was laughing now. He was free and Cullen was miles away trying to pick up his trail, figure out how he managed to escape and where he was headed next. Well, let him wonder. By the time he figured it out, it would be too late.

They drove in silence for another ten miles on the way past Fort Collins. His driver constantly switched radio stations in search of news. The sudden bursts of music and talking coming from the radio irritated Jacob to the point where he felt like smashing the instrument into silence. However, he needed to know what was happening in the outside world. He needed to know what he was up against.

Finally, the man found a station that gave a few details on his escape. The announcer's perky voice was at complete odds with the type of news she read. The report was centered mainly on his escape and the murders he committed at the hospital. A nationwide manhunt had been called for him. _Good luck with that,_ he thought. He grinned and relaxed against the seat as a popular Christmas song replaced the announcer's voice. By the time the authorities figured out where he was, he would be long gone and on his way to some sunny island in the Caribbean.

Shortly before they crossed the state line into Wyoming, the man pulled off the lonely stretch of highway and into an old, abandoned gas station. He quickly got out of the car and disappeared behind the dilapidated structure. The building had seen better times, but now its windows were either broken or completely covered in dust. A part of the roof had caved in and one of the front doors hung by its hinges. One of the two gas pumps was missing. The entire place was an accident waiting to happen.

Favouring his shoulder, Jacob grabbed his bag and stepped out of the car into the shadows of the quickly approaching evening. He drew in a lung-full of the clean, fragrant air and sighed. Freedom had an entirely different flavor than that of incarceration. He couldn't wait to get a steak and a bottle of beer. Those were two of the things he missed while he was in prison. Placing his bag on the hood of the car, he leaned against the door and waited for his companion to return.

The man marched around the building and frowned at Jacob. In his hand he held another bag and a set of keys. He threw both of them at Jacob and then opened the driver's side of the vehicle.

"Are these all the items I requested?" Jacob snapped, rubbing his shoulder. The pain had intensified during the trip, and all he wanted to do was take a few painkillers and lie down. However, that would have to wait. He had other more pressing matters to attend to.

The man did not answer. Instead, he leaned into the vehicle and extracted a cloth covered item from the space between the seat and the drink-holder. The man's attitude was tiresome before, but now it just made Jacob angry. He had no respect. _Does he have any idea who he is dealing with?_

The man came over to his side of the car and reluctantly handed the item over. Jacob casually opened the flaps of the material. Tucked away in the folds, was a cell phone, a 9mm handgun with a short, snub-nosed silencer and two sets of ammunition.

"I'm assuming you know how to use it?" the man asked, crossing his arms across his chest. He gave Jacob a condescending stare.

Jacob slid the magazine home into the handle of the gun, screwed the silencer onto the barrel of the gun and quickly made the necessary checks. He raised the gun, took aim at a discarded soda can lying on the ground and squeezed the trigger. With a muted _pop_, the can shot into the air and landed a few feet away.

'Yes," Jacob said, sardonically. "I think I remember how it's done."

The man rolled his eyes. 'Yeah man, whatever. There's extra ammo and a few other items in the bag. Car's around the back." He turned and walked away. "Now, if we're finished here, I have a life to get back to."

"Actually," Jacob said, turning towards the man's retreating back. He raised the gun and aimed it in the direction of the man's head. "There is one other piece of business we need to get out of the way."

"What now?" the man snapped, turning. Anger slid from his face and his eyes bulged in their sockets. His face turned a sickly shade of grey. He raised his hands in the air in surrender. "H-hey, w-what are you doing?"

Jacob smiled. "Tying up a loose end." His finger squeezed the trigger.

There was another _pop_ and a ragged hole the size of a dime appeared in the middle of the man's forehead. His body jerked under the impact and a shower of blood, bone and brain matter exited the back of his head and sprayed onto the car. He was dead before he hit the ground, his eyes staring sightlessly up at the sky, his lips twisted in a surprised grimace.

"Asshole," Jacob muttered, grabbing the two bags and walking around the building.

Twenty minutes later, Jacob was rolling down the blacktop highway, a wide smile on his lips. Everything was going according to plan, but first, he needed to make one important call. He knew the man should have heard about his escape by now, and was expecting his call. He grabbed the cell phone from the passenger seat and dialed the number he committed to memory. It rang twice and then the man's voice came on the line.

"Well, hello there," Jacob greeted pleasantly. "Remember me? I'm the man who paid your ass to do a job. A job you still need to complete."

The man paused. "You're out?"

Jacob snorted. "Like you didn't know." He paused, but was only met with silence. "Well, you need not worry yourself about it anymore. I'll take care of the Cullen bitch myself. I just need you to meet me when I get to Washington."

There was a choking sound on the opposite end of the line. "You're coming _here_? Are you insane? Cullen will..."

"Cullen is in Colorado trying to fix this mess," Jacob snarled. "By the time he yanks his head out of his ass and figures out what I am up to, the woman will be dead and I'll be long gone. All I need you to do is meet me, find me a place to stay for a few days and provide me with one or two girls. If you don't fuck this up, I'll forget about the money you owe me and leave your life intact. Got it?"

"Anything else?" the man asked, anger barely contained in his voice.

'Yeah, one more thing. You try to disappear or even think of pulling any stupid stunts, and your life is over. I'll have shit raining down on your head so fast you'll think it's a freaking hail storm. I'll call you when I hit the state line." He disconnected the call and threw the phone back into the seat.

His instincts told him to let this one go. Just forget about Edward Cullen's ex-wife, follow through with the rest of his plan and get the hell out of the country. But he couldn't. He still had visions of Edward beating the shit out of him months ago, and of the man laughing at him during his visit to his room yesterday. It was also because of him that he spent three years of his life in that stinking hellhole, surrounded by degenerates, murderers and all the garbage from the bottom of the heap. It was because of Edward Cullen that his life had been cut short, his dreams unrealised. Now, it was payback time. Edward took his dreams away from him. He was going to take his...again.

* * *

**Once again, I want to thank you for being so understanding about why there was such a delay on this chapter. Chapter 29 is in progress, and I assure you it will not be long in coming.**


	30. Gambit

**My deepest apologies for breaking my promise and making you wait so long for this one. RL got in the way, but I can guarantee it will be better now. So due to my tardiness, this A/N will be extremely short.**

**I just want to say **_"Thank you"_** to everyone who read, reviewed and PMed me. Thank you for your continued support and I really hope you like this one. **

**Now, on with the story….**

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* * *

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**Chapter 29 - Gambit**

Edward entered the office temporarily assigned to him and Andy Chou and immediately went to his desk. He draped the knee-length black coat over the back of the chair and ran his index finger across the mouse pad on his laptop. The screen flickered to life. He entered his password and waited until the system logged him on.

As he sat wearily in the chair, the fatigue he had been trying to ignore during the past few days seeped out of his bones and took hold of his body. He leaned his heavy head against the chair's back and closed his eyes. He was exhausted. He had barely slept since his arrival in Colorado, and his body was running purely on adrenaline and caffeine. He had consumed enough coffee to keep a small village awake for a week. His eyelids felt like they were permanently glued to his eyeballs and his brain felt like it was wired the wrong way.

When the news of Jacob's escape and the murders he committed hit the media networks, all hell broke loose. It was a total feeding frenzy as reporters demanded the agency provide them with the inside scoop as to what really happened at the hospital. There were press conferences, meetings to coordinate the manhunt and interviews with prison officials and the personnel who were all now in custody. During all this, Edward also had Nathan Hunte moved to another facility where he was kept under constant guard. This was a temporary solution until he could get all the paperwork completed to admit Nathan's family into the Witness Protection Program and have Nathan's case reviewed. Hopefully, that would lead to his conviction being overturned.

The discovery that Deputy Warden Raymond Thomas was corrupt and was also instrumental in Jacob's escape did not go well with the media. They were resentful that the F.B.I had not kept them in the loop, and they had had to find out via so called "anonymous_"_ sources. The rumor-mill worked overtime, hatching theories about the reasons for the apparent media black-out. They finally settled on one - government cover-up. That was when Tom Dawes, Special Agent in Charge of the Denver branch, stepped in.

While Edward preferred to keep the press out of the investigation as much as possible, Dawes had other ideas. His solution was to throw Edward to the wolves by announcing that he was the agent heading the investigation and that he would provide them with all the information they required. Edward told the man in no uncertain terms that he was not a "press whore," and he should find someone else. His job was to find Jacob and return him to custody for prosecution, not babysit the media and have them get in his way while he tried to do his job. But Dawes ignored him. He wanted "transparency,_"_ and it was Edward's duty to provide it.

_Transparency, my ass,_ Edward thought as he stood and went towards the window. He sighed, frustrated. Dawes didn't want transparency. What he really wanted was a scapegoat. A person he could shift the blame on now that things had gone wrong and people were dead. It didn't make a difference that none of this was Edward's fault and he was just there to lend his experience with Jacob Black to the situation. All Dawes saw was that Edward was there to usurp his position and take over a case that rightfully belonged to the personnel of the Denver office.

The tension between Dawes and Edward was apparent to all in the office. That, in addition to the bad press and the murders of two of their own, left everyone on edge. Some of the agents felt they had to choose sides between Edward and their boss, and those who did not seemed to be waiting for the inevitable explosion. As far as Edward was concerned, they could wait. There was no way he was assuaging their curiosity by issuing an official statement.

To make a bad situation worse, Dawes hit the roof when he heard that Andy arrived in Denver at Edward's request, to handle the forensic aspects of the investigation. While he did not think Dawes' people were inept, he did not have the time to familiarise himself with their methods. Dawes quickly dragged Edward into his office for a meeting.

As soon as the door closed, Dawes' phony smile melted away and he told Edward that he wanted him gone. His presence was insulting, and Andy's arrival portrayed to the public and his staff that the Directors had no confidence in his abilities. Edward remained silent for most of the man's tirade. He could not believe how narrow-minded he was. Three people were dead, one was still in hospital, and Dawes still thought that this was about him.

That was two days ago, and despite the obstacles constantly being thrown in their path, they had made a considerable amount of progress. The public was instrumental in tracking Jacob down by calling in possible sightings to the office or their local law enforcement branches. While it was a tedious task, they checked every report received.

The hospital surveillance footage from the night Jacob escaped eventually led them to his getaway vehicle. It was discovered approximately two miles away from the Wyoming/Colorado border, its driver shot once in the head. Edward knew beyond a shadow of a doubt, that Jacob had disposed of the man when he no longer proved useful to him. It was the type of cold-blooded murdering bastard he was.

By Andy's calculations the man had been dead for approximately fifteen to twenty hours. This gave Jacob a large window of opportunity to escape that would have made the investigation more tumultuous had they not identified the driver. His name was Brett Thomas, Raymond Thomas' nephew, and he was no stranger to the law. He had been convicted for theft, robbery and assault. All the charges were misdemeanors, and he only served jail time once.

Further investigation into Brett's financial records for the past six months showed two significant deposits to his bank account. His purchases did not call for any serious concern until they found a credit card transaction for a car that coincidentally, was delivered to the very same area where Brett was found dead. They forwarded the registration number and the vehicle particulars to all law enforcement departments across the country and were in the process of scanning through all the surveillance footage from the surrounding areas.

As for Brett's uncle, he was a hard nut to crack. He refused to answer any of the questions Edward posed to him, but when Edward informed him of his nephew's sudden demise, his stoic composure slipped and he muttered, "My sister is going to kill me." Other than that, he remained tight-lipped and demanded to have his lawyer present.

However, Frank, the guard and Thomas's right hand man, did not exercise the same amount of control over his tongue. He was more than willing to spill the beans in order to save his own worthless hide. His willingness to talk was like opening a flood-gate. The three other guards who either refused to talk or denied any involvement were spilling their guts to anyone who would listen. Armed with the new information, they discovered that Jacob was not the first person Thomas had struck a deal with. It went as far back as eight years, and a full scale investigation into the activities at the prison was ordered.

Edward massaged the back of his neck and rotated his head from side to side to alleviate the kinks he found there. He shoved his hands into his pants pockets and stared out through the ceiling to floor window pane.

The F.B.I office was located on the eighteenth floor of the Byron G. Rogers Federal Building in downtown Denver, and it afforded him an unobstructed view of the Denver skyline, the Rocky Mountain range and more importantly, the changing weather. A few hours ago the sky was a brilliant blue with a few clouds, but now, angry, pewter coloured clouds rolled in and transformed the sky into a blanket of gloom. According to the weather forecast, they were in for a major snow-storm.

He closed his eyes and drew in a deep breath. Despite the bad things that happened, there were still a few good things. He needed to concentrate on those to keep himself centered and focused.

Tessa called a few hours before to update him on the good news of Mark's condition. Mark was holding his own, and the doctors expected him to make a full recovery. He still had a long recovery ahead of him, but at least he would be around to welcome the newest addition to his family. As Edward listened to Tessa talk about how Mark awoke with a craving for her lasagna, he thought of Bella. She was his one constant. While they did not have much time to talk during the past few days, she texted him frequently. Her words of love and encouragement made their separation bearable. He couldn't wait to get back home.

Edward's thoughts were still on Bella when there was a knock on the door. He drew in another breath and pinched the bridge of his nose before bidding the person to enter. He hoped for good news as his quota of bad news for the rest of the year was filled.

Agent David Carter entered the office, a report in one hand, a touch-tablet in other and a smile on his boyish face. He was the man assigned by Dawes to meet Edward at the airport. Edward suspected that Dawes had placed them together out of pure spite. However, Agent Carter proved to be an extremely able agent, and Edward was glad to have him on his team. He was meticulous, enthusiastic and the work he produced quickly erased Edward's first impression of being an over-eager newbie with a severe case of verbal diarrhea. He was also willing to work the long hours required to bring the case to a close and never balked at any request Edward made.

"Sir, I've got something here I think you should see," Carter said, placing the stack of paper on Edward's desk. He flipped through a few pages and then pointed at something on the tablet. "I took the information Agent Chou gave to me and I combined it with the footage from the past eight hours. I then cross-referenced that with what we already know about Black, and I think I know where he is." He grinned sheepishly. "Or at least where he's headed."

Edward pushed his chair out of the way and came to stand beside Carter. Carter tapped the screen of the tablet and immediately a map appeared on the screen. Several red push pins dotted the brightly coloured contours of the map. The borders of Wyoming, Montana, Idaho and Washington were visible in green. A thick blue line running across the map intersected a few of the push pins. Edward followed the line with his index finger but stopped when he came to the last pin on the list - Spokane. Edward's eyes flew to Carter's face.

"Are you sure?" he asked, his voice hoarse.

Carter nodded. "Yes, sir. I checked it three times and there's no mistake," He pointed to the area where Edward's finger was moments ago. "His vehicle crossed here about six hours ago. Just after midnight." Carter's voice sounded excited. "Sir, he's going home."

* * *

Bella quickly slid into the seat Alice and Rosalie kept for her. Her trip from the hospital to the restaurant on First Street was delayed due to a two-car accident on one of the main roads in the downtown area. Roadblocks by the Seattle Police Department to randomly search vehicles added an extra fifteen minutes to her cab ride.

"You're late," Alice admonished, wagging a threatening finger at Bella.

"Yeah, late and starving," Bella shot back, giving Rosalie a smile. Rosalie grinned and slid a menu across the table towards her.

"Alice, behave," Rosalie ordered, pursing her coral-tinted lips. "It's only been ten minutes."

Alice glowered at Rosalie. "Ten minutes is a long time when you're starving. I'm about to pass out."

Bella and Rosalie rolled their eyes. Alice was prone to extreme exaggeration, but at times like these it was better to just let her vent. It was either that or risk being eaten alive - literally. Alice reminded Bella of a bird. She was small, but probably ate twice her body weight.

They placed their orders and then got to the reason they were there. Alice took a sip of water before verbally attacking Rosalie.

"Well, out with it?" she commanded, almost bouncing in her chair. "We're dying to know. When's the wedding?"

Rosalie threw back her head and laughed at Alice's enthusiasm. As casual as she tried to be when she spoke to them earlier, not giving anything away, she knew they suspected the real reason for the lunch invitation. During their getaway weekend, Emmett asked her to marry him - again. She once again consented and they finally set a date.

"April tenth," Rosalie gushed, clapping her hands against her red cheeks. It was obvious that she was extremely happy and excited.

Alice's mouth fell open. Bella placed her hand over her mouth and giggled at Alice's confounded expression. Alice gave Rosalie an indignant look.

"That's less than five months away," she wailed, her eyes huge. "How can I arrange a wedding in such a short space of time?"

Rosalie patted Alice's hand. "I'm sure you'll do just fine. Besides, we want to be married _before_ the baby comes." she reminded.

"B-but there's the dress and the catering and the venue," Alice cried, looking frantic. She tugged on the ends of her hair. "Not to mention the baby shower. I can't pull something like that together in such a short period of time."

Bella reached over and rubbed her friend's heaving back. Alice began to hyperventilate and looked like she might fall face-first into the basket of breadsticks.

"Calm down, Alice," Bella reasoned, pushing Alice's goblet of water closer to her hand. "Everything will work out. You'll have help."

Alice took a few gulps of the water, all the while glaring at Rosalie over the rim of her glass. Rosalie smiled innocently and was spared the remainder of Alice's tirade when the waiter returned with their orders.

They were through the main course and into dessert when the conversation turned to Christmas and what gifts they would get for the special men in their lives. Alice went all out and secured a pair of front-row tickets to a sold out _Snow Patrol_ concert being played at the Tacoma Dome. The Irish alternative rock band was one of Jasper's favourites, and he lamented over the fact that he could not get tickets. Rosalie was still undecided between a new watch, since Emmett seemed to constantly lose the ones he had, or the new touch pad that was just launched by a popular electronics firm. Emmett was like a kid in a candy shop when it came to electronic gadgets.

It then hit Bella that despite all evidence of the impending holiday, she had completely forgotten that Christmas was just three weeks away. With all the changes in her life, it completely flew over her head. She felt like disappearing under the table. She did not have a clue of what to give Edward.

As she disposed of the remains of her dessert, she listened to Rosalie and Alice debate over which brand of watch was superior. In the meantime, Bella's brain went into overdrive trying to decide what would be an appropriate gift for an ex-husband-turned-lover.

Bella was wiping her mouth with her napkin when the debate between Rosalie and Alice faltered and they zeroed in on her. She shrank back in her chair as the combined power of their gazes held her captive in her seat.

"What?" she demanded, dropping the napkin beside her plate.

"What are you giving to Edward as a gift?" Rosalie asked, trying unsuccessfully to keep a smile from her lips.

"How about a bed?" Alice suggested, waggling her eyebrows. Her voice was angelic but her eyes were mischievous.

Rosalie pressed her lips together, trying to smother her mirth. Bella narrowed her eyes at Alice who was still trying to appear innocent, but she was not fooled. Knowing Alice, she was getting at something that would no doubt prove embarrassing to her. The woman had no concept of good behaviour.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Alice grinned wickedly and tilted her head forward so that a curtain of black, silky hair completely covered one eye.

"It means, I'm surprised that your beds are still intact the way you two treat them," Alice giggled. "I've had to resort to wearing earplugs at night."

Bella gasped mortified. Twin spots of red appeared on her cheeks and quickly shot up to the roots of her hair. Rosalie held her head down, silent laughter causing her body to convulse.

"Alice Brandon, you're a big, fat liar," Bella whispered furiously, sounding like an indignant five-year old. However, a reluctant smile tugged at the corners of her mouth.

Alice shook her head. "No, I'm not. I'm sure Rosalie and Emmett can hear you two clear across to their place."

Rosalie held her hands in the air and waved them back and forth. "Oh no, Alice. You're not dragging me into that one," Rosalie laughed. "I've given Bella a hard time already. This battle, _you_ fight alone."

Bella threw a triumphant look Alice's way and stuck out her tongue. Alice gave Rosalie a withering look and muttered "Judas," under her breath. Rosalie ignored her and turned to Bella.

"So, how's that new project coming along?" she asked rubbing her hand across the small bump of her stomach. It was almost invisible beneath the folds of her shirt. Only a person who knew her condition would recognise it.

Bella's eyes followed the movement and for some reason, she felt sad. She could not figure out why every time she saw evidence of Rosalie's advancing pregnancy, she felt a twinge of sadness. Being around Peter and the other kids at the hospital, she realised she liked children but wasn't sure she had a desire to have any. She and Edward didn't have any during their three year marriage, so she suspected that she wasn't inclined to, or maybe they never found the time. With both their busy careers, it might not have been the best time for her to get pregnant.

However, she did think that Edward would make an excellent father. He was a kind, patient, and loving man. She imagined Edward with a little girl with bronze-coloured curls and laughing green eyes hoisted up on his shoulders. As he held onto the child's hands and spun around, the child laughed with glee. The sound reminded Bella of tiny, musical bells. The ache in her stomach grew larger as the child's laugher drifted away and left an empty, gaping hole behind.

"Bella," Rosalie said, looking worried. "Are you okay?"

Bella nodded and smiled. The smile was unsteady at first, but she quickly got it under control.

"Uh, yeah, I'm okay. Just thinking about what to get for Edward for Christmas," she lied, averting her eyes from Alice's and Rosalie's penetrating stare. "What were we talking about?"

Alice and Rosalie looked at each other. They both tried to disguise their concern but did a poor job. The look that passed between them was one Bella noticed with increasing frequency, and it was not just limited to the two women. She noticed it from the other Cullens as well. It was almost as if they were waiting for something.

"Your project..." Alice trailed off, trying to keep the worry from her voice.

Bella sighed, relieved to have something to take her mind off her fantasy. She quickly launched into the details of how the photography project she had undertaken in the Pediatric wing was progressing. With Carlisle's assistance, she presented a proposal to the hospital's board and received approval, as well as a little funding to purchase equipment to teach photography to the children who were physically able. Those who were too ill to participate were assigned a buddy who did the actual picture taking, but they were still instrumental in deciding what pictures were taken and shared in all the rewards.

She designated Peter as her assistant, and the boy seemed to thrive under his new responsibilities. He was still a very sick child, but his need to help those sicker than himself seemed to make him forget his own plight. She enjoyed watching him play the role of an older brother to the children and offer them guidance. She knew that if he reached adulthood, he would be a man people would be proud to follow.

As Bella continued to talk about the different aspects of the program, the hole in her gut became smaller, but did not completely close. Unhappily, she realised it was a permanent fixture. She was so accustomed to it that she no longer fought its invading presence. She just let it be and prayed that one day she would be whole again.

* * *

He drove through the open wooden doors of the warehouse, cut the engine and surveyed his surroundings. Beams of light shone through the broken, dirty windows in the warehouse's ceiling. They cut through the darkness in jagged, misshapen rays and gave the interior a gloomy, kaleidoscope effect. A part of him wanted to turn the vehicle around and leave, but he knew he had to stay and get this over with. There was no way for him to avoid this meeting, and that fact alone angered him.

He liked being in charge, the one who made the rules. The call he received last night reminded him of how little control he had over this particular situation, but he was comforted in knowing that soon he would be the puppet master instead of the puppet.

He sighed and patted the left side of his coat to ensure his gun was still inside his shoulder holster. He then tugged on his gloves and stepped out of the car. Immediately, the combined scent of mold, rust, engine oil, and urine assaulted his senses. He coughed and gagged as the stench grew in intensity and threatened to engulf him. Taking slow, shallow breaths, he closed and locked the door of the vehicle.

As he waited, his trained ears caught the quiet "drip, drip" of water as it entered the building through one of the many holes in the roof, splashing into dirty puddles on the floor. The cracks in the concrete floor were discernible in the gloom, as well as the many discarded engine parts littering the area. The place was once a thriving engine manufacturing company, but hard times reduced it to its current state - a dump and a haven for certain insidious characters like the one he was here to meet. Jacob Black.

He arrived early for their meeting, but his sixth sense told him that the man was already here and was watching him. Three years in a maximum security prison did nothing to lessen the man's arrogance.

Deciding that anything would be better than waiting there like a sitting duck, he made his way across the uneven floor toward a door at the rear of the building. The sound of his footsteps echoed off the metal walls and reverberated throughout the building. As the rusted door loomed closer, he tripped and stepped in something. The offensive mass squelched wetly around the sole of his shoe and a barrage of expletives tumbled from his lips.

"Goddamn it," he exploded, wrinkling his nose and attempting to get the foul smelling mess off his shoe by wiping his foot repeatedly on the ground. "Of all the places in the world, he chose here."

A muted "thump" beyond the door drew his attention away from his shoe, and he caught a flash of movement through a dust covered window. He stiffened and quickly took out his gun. He released the safety mechanism and quietly walked towards the door. Straining his ears to hear any movement from the other side of the door, he grabbed the rusted handle and forcefully pulled the door open.

Immediately, he felt the barrel of a gun against his right temple and the whisper smooth click of the bullet as it loaded into its chamber. A feeling of panic tore through him as he realised he was seconds away from a bullet to the brain. _How could I be so careless?_ His gun fell from his nerveless fingers and clattered to the floor. The noise was explosive in the small room.

"You're slowing down," a familiar voice mocked. "Losing your edge?"

He yanked his head away from the gun and turned to face the source of the voice. Jacob Black stood there with a smug, condescending look on his face. He bit back his retort and retrieved his gun from the floor. He tried to contain himself as murderous rage thundered through him. Humiliation at his reaction hit him like a baseball bat to the face. He forced the rage down into the pit of his stomach and put some distance between Jacob and himself.

The space he placed between them helped him to gather his thoughts. He knew it was his imagination, but Jacob carried the stink of death and decay. The smell seemed to ooze from the man's pores and hit him full in the face. The scent was one he was all too familiar with given his line of work and the people he associated with. As he adjusted his breathing, his warm breath merged with the cold air and created a small cloud of fog as he exhaled.

"How was your first night back?" he inquired politely. He noticed that Jacob lowered his gun but did not completely put it away, keeping it at the ready - similar to what he was doing. Jacob did not trust him and neither did he trust the man.

Jacob smiled, closed his eyes, and drew in a satisfying breath. It looked as if he was enjoying an intensely pleasurable memory.

"It was an experience," Jacob said, amusement in his voice. "I do have to commend you. The food was excellent, but the sex was even better." He sighed contentedly. "Oh, and thank you for cleaning up the mess I left behind."

He kept his face impassive. _Mess indeed!_ When he returned to the room the man stayed in, he was greeted by a sight that would have made a weaker man vomit. The bodies of the two dead hookers were laid out on the bed in a macabre, broken display. Their blood-shot eyes stared at each other in death. Their necks were broken, their heads turned a hundred and eighty degrees. The skin around their necks was loose, bruised, and twisted. For one person to do that to another human being took an incredible amount of force, or anger.

He had killed many times, but never mutilated his victims like that. It was the act of a mad man. Even the witnesses he disposed of at Black's command were treated with a faint glimmer of respect. Michael Danvers, Susan Collins and Tony Perry all died without drama. To him, killing was a fine art, not the sick, twisted perversion that Jacob was accustomed to. It disturbed him more than he was willing to admit because he wondered if he was doomed to end up the same way.

As he disposed of the bodies, he wondered if the vicious act was motivated by anger. He learned a long time ago that there was always a reason behind Jacob's actions, and the man rarely made mistakes. That was why the F.B.I had such a difficult time obtaining evidence against him. That was the reason behind Jacob's personal vendetta against Edward Cullen. Edward had outsmarted him. Edward brought him down.

"You're welcome," he said, through gritted teeth. "Next time be more careful. I don't want to get caught cleaning up your shit."

Jacob gave a harsh bark of laughter. "You actually sound angry, but that's not possible since you owe me."

He growled and flexed his fingers around the handle of his gun. "Yes, I do, but it's a debt that will soon be repaid."

Jacob raised a curious eyebrow. "How do you figure that?" His voice was controlled, but he knew the man's suspicious nature had been aroused.

He had to tread lightly now. The last thing he wanted was for Jacob to become suspicious. It would make his plan harder to execute if his defenses were up.

"You promised to leave me alone if I helped you," he reminded, forcing his voice to remain calm, even injecting a bit of hopefulness into it. Just enough to throw Jacob off the scent of his intended deceit. "I've done everything you asked, so why are we meeting? Don't you think its best that you leave now before Cullen realises you're here?"

At the mention of Edward's name, Jacob's face turned to granite, and his dark eyes glittered in anger. He hoped that he didn't push the wrong button and screw up his plan.

"Is that concern for me in your voice or do you have another reason why you want me to disappear?" Jacob asked amused.

"What other reason would I have?" he asked, feeling his heart rate increase. _Did he suspect the truth?_

"Hmmm...let me see…" Jacob leaned against the wall and crossed his legs at the ankle. He looked so relaxed that anyone seeing him now would believe that he was standing in the room of a five-star hotel and not inside a dirty, abandoned warehouse. "How about this? Isabella Cullen."

_Shit!_ His eyes widened in pretend outrage. He set his jaw and glared at Jacob as the urge to correct the man about Bella's name came over him.

"Why would Bella Swan make a difference to me?" he asked coolly, crossing his arms across his chest.

"Well, you've had ample opportunities to kill her and you haven't. Instead, you follow her around like some love-sick puppy." Jacob's eyes narrowed and then widened as if he just had an epiphany. "Shit, you're in love with her? Are you fucking for real?" He roared with laughter. "Now, isn't this ironic?"

He glared at the laughing man standing less than fifteen feet away from him. The urge to put a bullet between his eyes was almost unbearable. Almost, but he managed. He had other things in mind for Jacob Black. Things that would benefit a great number of people, including him.

"You're being ridiculous," he snapped. "She's nothing to me."

Jacob's laughter drew to an abrupt halt, and he looked thoughtful. He shrugged. "I'm glad to hear that, because by the time I get through with her, you won't want her."

His stomach clenched uncomfortably. "What does that mean?"

"I made a promise to Cullen a while back about his beloved ex-wife, and I intend to make good on it." Jacob paused and grinned widely. "Besides, we'll both benefit - I'll have my revenge and I'll be doing you a favour."

His knuckles popped softly as he clenched his fist. Inside, the urge to end Jacob's life warred heavily with his good sense. The urge to submit to his basic instincts was strong, but he needed him.

"How do you figure that?"

"Well, with Bella out of the way, you can get back to what you do best...killing. They'll be no more distractions, no more attacks of conscience. You'll be back to your old, unethical self."

He shook his head. "Believe me, I don't have a conscience, and I am not distracted. I just don't want your shit falling in my lap. I stand to lose a lot if you get careless." He examined the tips of his well manicured fingers and smiled. "As for Bella Swan, do with her as you wish. She's no concern of mine." He shrugged. "Besides, it'll save me a bullet."

A shadow of emotion crossed Jacob's face, but before he could decipher its meaning, it was gone. Then Jacob did something surprising. He slid his gun into the waistband of his pants, leaving himself defenseless. Jacob started at him expectedly and immediately he knew it was a test. _Well, two can play that game._ He returned his own gun to its holster and shoved both hands into his coat pockets.

Jacob glanced at his watch. "I'm glad you know where your loyalties lie. For a second there I thought I was going to have to kill you, which would be such a waste. You really have been quite useful."

"Gee, thanks," he ground out, rolling his eyes and clenching his fists deep in his pockets. The fingers of his left hand brushed against a small, flat object and he ran his index finger along its edge. "So, are we done here? I've got someplace I need to be."

Jacob nodded and gestured for him to precede him out through the door. As the vile smell from the warehouse invaded his senses once again, he wondered if it was a good idea to turn his back on the man. He knew how violent and unpredictable he was, but it was another way to prove to Jacob that he wasn't a threat.

In the few seconds it took for them to reach his car, Jacob checked his watch twice, almost as if he was late for something. A sudden, brilliant plan formed in his mind. It was the perfect way to put another part of his plan in action. Based on what he knew about his _boss_, he was sure it would work.

"I guess we both have places to be," he said, gesturing to Jacob's watch.

There was a blur of movement, and before he could adequately prepare himself for the attack, Jacob shoved him against the car and whipped out his gun. His chin connected with the roof of the car knocking his teeth together with an audible snap. Jacob then spun him around, wedged his arm against his throat and shoved the gun into his right ear. As the pressure on his larynx increased, he tried to keep calm, to remember that this was the moment he was waiting for.

For dramatic effect, he wheezed and struggled weakly. Flailing his arms in a defensive manner, he stuck a transparent film the length of a paperclip on the backside of Jacob's jacket. Jacob was so involved in doling out punishment to him, that he never realised he had been tagged.

The pain in his throat and lungs was bearable, and he figured he had about a minute's worth of air before he lost consciousness. But he suspected that Jacob wouldn't kill him now; he needed him to get him out of the country. After that, Jacob would kill him. He was a loose end and would need to be eliminated. _Shit, it's was what I would do,_ he thought.

"Do not, for one fucking minute, think that you can con me," Jacob snarled, looking at him like he was something distasteful caught on the bottom of his shoe. "Or that we're friends. I own you."

The gun brushed against his cheek, and he heard the safety mechanism disengage. Then with another quick movement, Jacob removed his arm from his throat and brought his fist up, ramming it into his ribs. The sharp, sudden pain caused him to cough and caught him by surprise. Every breath he took unleashed another dagger of pain across his bruised ribs and stomach, triggering the pain receptors in his brain.

"I'm not stupid and you know that," Jacob continued, his finger caressing the trigger. "Take my advice and stay out of my way. Do not allow an insignificant piece of ass to fuck your life up. Understand?"

He nodded quickly appearing afraid, but inside he was roaring with laughter, and so was the voice. It was his job to study people's personalities, and as intelligent as Jacob thought himself to be, he had him all figured out ages ago. He could almost predict every move the man intended to make. He was 99.9% sure of what would happen next.

Jacob took aim and shot out the front tyre on his car. As the tyre deflated with a long, angry hiss of air, it was all he could do to keep the laughter inside.

"Now," Jacob said, taking a step backwards. "I'll need your help again in a day or two so don't disappear."

And with that, Jacob Black walked away. He was so cocky that he actually had the nerve to turn his back on him, confident in his belief that he controlled the situation. The sudden roar of an engine was like a gunshot in the stillness, and was followed by the crunch of gravel as Jacob drove away.

Amidst the pain in his ribs, he quickly changed the now flat tyre, wiped his hands on his pants and locked himself in the car. He opened the buttons on his shirt and examined his side. There was some discolouration, but he was sure nothing was broken. The pain from a broken rib was one he was familiar with.

Reaching into the glove compartment, he extracted a black, touch screen device the size of his palm. He turned the power on, and immediately a detailed map of the area came on the screen, with a small, slow moving red dot moving across it. He tapped in a few coordinates and blue intersecting lines appeared on the display. Some of the lines intersected with the red dot, but they disappeared when it moved away from one of them. He grinned when the dot proceeded down a line and stayed steady.

"Got you, you bastard," he said, extracting his cell phone from his pocket. "It's time to put an end to this."

* * *

Edward grabbed his bag off the conveyor belt and carefully avoided a pile of luggage someone had stacked in the middle of the floor. As he made his way towards the arrival hall, he switched his on cell phone.

The phone chimed continuously as a series of text and voice messages came through. Tugging the pull-along bag behind him, he accessed the voice messages first. Four were from Shannon, one from James and one from Bella. He wanted to call Bella first, but the urgency in Shannon's tone made him change his mind. After dialing the number, he wedged the phone between his ear and shoulder.

"Where are you?" Shannon demanded.

"I just got in," he explained as he exited through the double glass doors at the airport's main entrance. The cold Seattle wind hit him at full force, but it wasn't half as bad as Denver. By the time his flight lifted off, the runway was covered in a light blanket of snow.

"Good, I need you to come straight to the office," Shannon ordered. "You were right. We got an anonymous tip that Black's been sighted."

Edward heard the chaos of voices in the background on Shannon's end of the line and waited as he gruffly told the source of the voices to shut up. A bit of fumbling and Shannon's attention was once again on Edward.

"What's going on?" Edward asked sharply as he crossed the pedestrian lane and made his way towards Emmett's waiting vehicle. Emmett was leaning against the driver's side door, his arms crossed across his chest and hands tucked into his armpits for warmth. The tips of his ears and nose were red from the cold.

"Damn reporters are making it near impossible for us to get in and out of the building," the man growled.

"Reporters?" Edward asked, slowing his steps. Emmett gave him a questioning look and rubbed his hands together to remind him of the cold temperature. He ignored him. "Do they know he's back here?"

"Seems that way. How they found out is a complete mystery to me, but if I find who the leak is, that person is in big trouble."

"Look, I'm leaving the airport now," Edward said as he reached the SUV and threw his bag into the back. "I'll brief you when I get in."

Edward ended the call and slid into the passenger seat. Emmett started the engine and pulled away from the curb. As Emmett took the lane that would lead them downtown, Edward leaned his head against the seat and closed his eyes. He reviewed everything he discovered during the past few days and none of it made sense. But that was nothing new, since nothing about Jacob Black made any sense on a normal day. Why would the man risk returning to Washington? He was missing a crucial piece of the puzzle, but try as he might, he couldn't find the answer. He sighed heavily.

"You okay?" Emmett asked, giving him a sideways glance. He indicated and changed lanes to avoid being trapped behind a slow moving Sentra.

"Just tired," Edward yawned, rubbing his gritty eyes. "How're Rose and EJ?" He needed to change the topic. Every waking minute for the last four days was filled to the hilt with Jacob Black. He needed a few minutes of peace and quiet without Jacob Black, corrupt prison officials and mud-slinging reporters.

Emmett grinned. "They're great. Rose is having lunch with Alice and Bella, and as for EJ..." Emmett trailed off. Then his eyes lit up and his face glowed like someone just flipped the switch on a 1000 watt bulb in a dark room. "I think I felt him move yesterday. It was a small movement, but I felt him."

Edward was happy for Emmett, but as the wave of his happiness crested, despair and sorrow followed. He remembered the first time he felt Hayley move. It was not a feeling that could be easily described. The confirmation that he and Bella created a living being out of their love was almost too much to comprehend. It was the second time Bella bore witness to his tears. The first time was the day they married, just after he caught that first glimpse of her as she walked down the aisle. She was so beautiful that day that it took his breath away. It took all his control not to forget his vows.

"That's great, Em," he said, clearing his suddenly dry throat. He injected as much enthusiasm into his voice as possible. He hoped Emmett would not hear the catch in his voice, but given his brother's keen powers of observation, that was impossible.

Emmett gave him a knowing look, but other than that, remained silent. He sighed in relief, and suddenly feeling completely drained, leaned into the seat and closed his eyes. He fell asleep almost immediately. Emmett used the opportunity to openly study his brother.

Edward looked exhausted. Faint smudges were visible beneath his eyes, and there was at least three days' worth of facial hair on his face. Emmett wondered when Edward last slept, or ingested something other than coffee and a sandwich, for that matter. Emmett shook his head and frowned. He was going to have a stern talk with his little brother when he awoke.

Twenty minutes later, Edward was still asleep when his cell phone rang. His eyes flew open and he shot up straight in his seat. The confining strap of the seatbelt tightened at the sudden movement and yanked him back into the seat. He muttered an expletive as he dug his phone from his pocket.

"Cullen, here," he greeted, stifling a yawn behind his hand. He glared at Emmett when he gave a snort of laughter which he immediately tried to turn into a poorly disguised cough.

Edward stiffened and sat up slowly, his brow furrowed, as he listened to the voice on the other end of the line. The heavily charged silence alerted Emmett to the fact that something was seriously wrong.

"Are you sure that's where he was seen last?" Edward asked, his voice flat, a chill coming over him. "I'll call you back in a few minutes." Edward disconnected the phone and turned to Emmett. "Em, where did you say Alice, Rose and Bella were?"

Emmett frowned. "They went to lunch at _Grey's Grillhouse_ on First Street, but that was two hours ago. They should be finished by now. Why?"

Edward ignored his question. "Where was Bella going afterwards?"

Emmett looked perplexed. "I think she was going home." He went pale as clarity took over. "My God, do you think?"

Edward quickly dialed Bella's number and waited impatiently as the phone rang. The feeling of dread that began as a slight discomfort in his stomach suddenly became a full blown panic attack. He could not understand why Jacob would return to Washington at the risk of being caught, but now everything fell into place. It all made sense. Jacob wasn't running from something, he was running to something.

At the prison, Black told him that if he thought that what happened the night Hayley died was a big deal, then he should prepare for what was about to come. Black was here to finish what he started that night four years ago. It would be his final act of vengeance against him. Jacob Black was on his way to kill Bella.

* * *

Bella was staring out across the bay when her phone began to ring. Her breath caught in her throat and her heart rate increased when Edward's name flashed across the screen. They hadn't spoken since the day before and she missed hearing his voice. The case he was working on was taking all his time and there wasn't much opportunity to catch up.

"Hey, you," she greeted him happily and tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear.

"Bella, where are you?" Edward's voice was terse and business-like.

"Edward, what's wrong?" she asked, feeling the balloon of her happiness deflate. Her phone emitted a warning chirp indicating her battery was low, and she swore silently. She forgot to charge the phone the night before.

"Bella," Edward said again. This time his voice had a frantic edge to it. "Where are you?" He emphasised each word as if barely hanging onto his temper.

The phone gave another chirp of warning. "I'm on my way home. Why?" she asked, frowning.

"Where exactly are you?"

Bella couldn't think why Edward was behaving so strangely or why he sounded so upset. It made her uneasy.

"I'm on the ferry. We left the dock about five minutes ago."

"Shit!" Edward swore. "Listen, Bella, I need you to..."

But whatever it was that Edward needed her to do would remain a mystery because the phone went dead.

"Edward! Edward!" she said. She looked at the screen and saw it was blank. "Damn it." She slipped the phone into her jacket pocket and exhaled sharply.

Something was up with Edward. He sounded strange, and if she didn't know better, she would say scared. But why would telling him that she was on her way home spark such a reaction?

She looked around and saw a couple strolling hand-in-hand, across the deck. She watched them until they went down the stairs and disappeared from sight. It was then she realised she was alone on the deck. The drop in temperature forced the other passengers onto the lower deck to enjoy the comforts of the on-board coffee shop. She should probably do the same, but Edward's call unsettled her and she wasn't in a sociable mood.

Bella frowned, trying to discern a logical reason for Edward's distress. The only time Edward reacted like that was when he was worried about her. She straightened and smiled. Edward wasn't upset with her, he was worried. She giggled. More than likely he found out she was making the trip home alone and was concerned for her safety. Instead of being insulted, it made her feel warm inside; it made her feel loved. She shook her head and grinned. Edward never ceased to amaze her. His job was more dangerous than her taking the ferry alone and there he was worrying about her. _Silly Edward. _Would he ever learn?

* * *

Swearing, Edward slammed his fist into the dashboard and slumped back into the seat. Emmett glanced at him, concern twisting his handsome face into a mask of anger and fear.

"Where is she, Edward?" he demanded, his hands tightened on the steering wheel until his knuckles were white.

"She's on the ferry," Edward choked out. He ran an unsteady hand through his hair and seemed to be completely lost in thought.

A feeling of dread shot through Emmett at Edward's confirmation. Edward hadn't come out and told him all the details, but from the conversations he overheard with Shannon and Bella, he knew Bella was in danger. He also knew that given their location, there was little they could do. Emmett flexed his hand. He wanted to hit something or someone...hard.

"Why didn't you tell her to get off?" yelled Emmett, his face flushing red. A vein pulsed in his temple. "Why didn't you tell her about _him_?"

Edward looked livid. "I tried, but the phone went dead," he snapped, quickly dialing a series of numbers. "And the ferry's already left."

"Fuck! Fuck!" Emmett screeched and slammed his fist repeatedly into the steering wheel. The SUV veered sharply into the right lane and almost plowed into a battered, red mini-van. He yanked the steering wheel to the left and coaxed the vehicle back into the correct lane. The man driving the mini-van rolled his window down, flipped Emmett the bird and then sped away.

Edward was completely oblivious to the fact that Emmett almost cost them their lives. He was busy tapping his fingers on his thigh as he waited for the person on the other end to pick up.

"Shannon, Black's on-board the ferry to Bainbridge and he's going after Bella," Shannon's words were indecipherable to Emmett but he could hear the man's disbelief. "Yes, I'm sure. Listen to me, get Harbour Patrol to go after it, but tell them not to attract any attention. Have them radio the Captain and tell him under no circumstances is he to turn that boat around." Edward drew in a deep breath and his chest heaved. "If Black realises we're onto him, she dead."

Even though Edward's voice rang with authority, Emmett heard the fear for Bella's safety, seeping out. The feeling of doom multiplied until the weight of it crushed him and made him feel sick to his stomach. If anything happened to Bella, their family would never recover - Edward would never recover. He would blame himself. Flashbacks of three years ago went through Emmett's mind and he felt his eyes burn. _Not again. Not again,_ he thought.

"I'll be there in fifteen minutes," Edward said, disconnecting the call.

He turned to Emmett. Edward's eyes were bright and wild with worry. His lips were pressed together into a thin, hard line. His bronze hair was a startling contrast against his pale skin. The purple shadows of fatigue stood out sharply beneath his eyes giving him a bruised appearance.

"I don't care what you have to do. Break every law you have to, but get me to that dock." Edward said through gritted teeth, his fists clenched.

"I'll have you there in ten," Emmett vowed and floored the accelerator.

* * *

Bella was still smiling when an unfamiliar voice startled her. She spun around and saw a tall, well-built man with chin-length black hair, watching her. He was handsome, but when he smiled, it did not reach his eyes. It reminded her of the type of smile a person would give if they felt they had to be polite.

"Isabella Cullen, I thought that was you," the man said, his smile growing wider. "You haven't changed a bit."

Bella tilted her head to the side and regarded the man with a look of confusion. She noted he was well-dressed in jeans, a ribbed sweater and jacket, but something about him made her uneasy. Her internal alarm told her to be careful. She shook her head trying to chase away the paranoia that gathered like a mass of dark storm clouds.

"It's Swan," she murmured automatically and fought the urge to bite her tongue. Why did she feel the need to correct some total stranger?

The man nodded and shifted a bit to Bella's right side. Without commanding her legs to move, she immediately compensated for the man's movement and took a step in the opposite direction. His dark eyes caught her movement, and his smiled slipped a fraction.

"Ah, yes. I heard about the unfortunate split," He said "unfortunate," but Bella got the distinct impression that he was being sarcastic. If she didn't know any better, she would think he was gloating. "A lot has changed since I've been away." His dark eyes swept over her body in a slow, deliberate manner. "Thankfully, not everything."

Bella frowned, gripping her cane tightly until the metal bit into her palm. Goose pimples marched across her skin by the hundreds, and it wasn't because of the temperature. She took another step backwards. She questioned her reaction to this man. He didn't seem threatening, just weird. Something about him gave her the creeps. Something about the way he watched her, scared her. She swallowed past her rising agitation and fixed a smile on her face.

"I'm sorry, but have we met? Mr..." she trailed off hoping he would take the bait and provide her with a surname.

The man's smile stayed in place, but the expression on his face spoke volumes. He knew she was trying to get him to divulge his surname, and her little game amused him. He took another small step towards her. His movements were so smooth that she was pressed against the metal rails before she realised he had blocked off her only escape route. She had two choices right now - either push past him or jump over the rail into the water below. She glanced over her shoulder at the churning water and was instantly struck by a feeling of vertigo.

"Black," he said in a quiet, deliberate voice.

His smile became even more animated, and Bella had a sudden vision of the clown from the Stephen King novel, _It_. Its cheery disposition, too wide mouth and colourful clothing disguised what it truly was - an evil, malevolent creature bent on tormenting and destroying its victims.

As he continued to stare at her expectedly, his name reverberated inside her skull. _Black, Black, Black. Why does that name sound so familiar? _Bella wondered. She frowned as her brain refused to cooperate. She should give up and ask him point blank who he really was, but an inner voice told her it was important that she remember. She didn't know how or why, but she felt her life might depend on it.

In an instance, a conversation she had with Edward two days ago came to the forefront of her mind. She remembered him saying that the prisoner who escaped was the one responsible for Mark being injured. He was also responsible for the murders of three people - two F.B.I agents and a nurse. Edward did not go into further detail as the case was still ongoing, but he did say his name. Jacob Black. She also remembered catching a brief glimpse of a face on the news as she prepared to leave the house that morning. That face was now watching her intently with eyes that seemed to peer into the very depths of her soul.

Bella stared at the man in horror. _No, it can't be._ The man standing before her could not be the man Edward hunted. A man who was nowhere near Denver, but was here in Washington, standing there watching her like a vulture waiting to devour its next meal.

His eyes lit up and a smug smile crossed his handsome features. "That a girl," he whispered, taking a black gun from the waistband of his pants. "You do know who I am, don't you?" Bella remained silent. "Don't you?" His voice was harsh, demanding and she jumped at the sudden increase in volume.

Bella nodded slowly. "Yes, I know who you are," she croaked, her dry throat working convulsively.

"Then you know why I'm here?" he asked, waving the gun at her. Bella shook her head. "C'mon, I happen to know that you're a very intelligent woman." He stepped closer to her and she shrank away from him. "Take a guess. Don't disappoint me now."

"Y-you're here to kill me?" she whispered. It came out as a question, but she knew the answer even before he nodded his head. Upon his confirmation, she began to shake uncontrollably. She brought her folded fist up against her heaving chest and felt her heart beat rapidly against her breast.

A flash of intuition told Bella that Jacob Black killing her was the least of her worries. It was what he intended to do with her before that terrified her. She had to find a way to escape. She might lose her life in the process, but anything was better than having his hands on her, having him inside her. The idea alone made her already quivering body shudder with revulsion.

The first kernels of a reckless escape plan began to take root in her mind. All she needed was to distract him long enough, or injure him so that she could escape.

"So, now that the tedious task of introductions are over, here's what's going to happen," Jacob said calmly, as if he was planning a simple shopping trip. Self-confidence exuded from his very pores. "When the ferry docks, you and I are going to get off like a happy couple and go somewhere quiet where we can get a bit more acquainted, where there'll be no interruptions."

Bella gaped at him as if he had just escaped an insane asylum. "Do you really think you're going to get away with this?"

Jacob looked around and shrugged his shoulders. "I don't see anyone trying to stop me, do you?"

Bella gulped as the truth in Jacob's words hit her with cruel finality. He was right. They were the only people on the deck. He could kill her now and no one would be the wiser. No one would be aware that anything sinister had happened until her body was found floating in the frigid waters of the Puget Sound. The thought should have reduced her to a crying, pleading mess, but instead, anger unfurled in the pit of her stomach. She raised her chin and stared at him defiantly.

"Edward, will stop you," she spat. "He'll hunt you down and kill you."

Jacob laughed. The sound reminded Bella of an angry, spitting snake. The wind picked up and blew his hair around his face, but he never flinched, his eyes bore into her with heated intensity.

"Is that so?" he scoffed, gesturing to the empty deck with his free hand. "Well, let him come. This time I'll personally make sure the bullet doesn't miss his heart."

Bella went pale at Jacob's reference to shooting Edward a few years ago. He was the one responsible for almost taking the man she loved away from her. He was the one responsible for putting the scar on Edward's chest. The scar that reminded her each time she looked at it that just an inch or two more would have ended her second chance with Edward.

"_You_!" she accused, folding her hands into fists. "_You_ shot him."

Jacob gave her a proud, lopsided grin. "Not personally, but I had the job done." Suddenly, the grin slid away and was replaced by a look of surprise. "He didn't tell you?"

Bella remained silent, her eyes throwing daggers at the man. At this point she hated him so much that given the opportunity, she would take the gun he held and shoot him straight through the heart and not feel an ounce of remorse. The anger she felt began to build like a geyser.

Jacob shook his head and gave her a sympathetic look. "Poor, poor Bella. Edward's been a very bad boy. I have to wonder what else he hasn't told you."

But Bella was past the point of rational thought or reason. The anger inside reached critical mass and a buzzing noise erupted in her ears. She could see Jacob's lips moving but could not understand his words. Then, her anger exploded outwards like a volcano.

In one quick movement, she brought the cane upwards. Its tip caught him directly in the groin and he doubled over, grunting in pain. But before he could recover from the first blow, she swung it upwards again catching him full in the face. There was a crunching sound as the metal collided with his jaw. He made an uncoordinated grab for her, but she feinted to the right, just out of his reach. Then with the strength lent to her by anger and fear, she brought the cane down across his back and then spun away to make her escape.

Her leg screamed in protest at the sudden, quick movement, but she ignored it. She needed to get away before he recovered enough to either shoot her in the back or otherwise waylay her escape.

Everything around her seemed to be moving in slow motion, and then stopped altogether as she tried to put as much distance between herself and the man who was now swearing and grunting in pain.

Then it happened. She caught a flash of movement out of the corner of her eye, something slammed into her bad leg and she was momentarily airborne. She crashed into the slick, wooden deck with an impact that jarred her teeth and rattled every bone in her body. A sharp pain shot through her left shoulder as the cane flew out of her hand and skidded across the deck. It came to rest just out of her reach. A throbbing ache radiated from her leg and travelled up her bruised body, but she ignored it.

Bella scrambled awkwardly on all fours towards her only means of salvation, but as her fingers were about to close around the cane, a hand grabbed the back of her jacket and pulled her roughly to her feet. She tried to free her arms from the constricting material, but the zippered front made it impossible. The hand on her back knotted in her hair and yanked her head backwards. Pinpricks of pain radiated across her scalp and brought tears to her eyes as she opened her mouth to scream. Jacob shoved the gun into her lower back and cutting off the sound before it could escape.

"Do that again and I'll kill you right here!" Jacob growled, breathing heavily. He pulled her roughly against his body and she flinched as the hard metal of the gun dug into her through the padding of her jacket.

Bella let out a strangled, ironic laugh. "What's the difference? You're going to kill me anyway."

Jacob's hand released her hair and moved to her throat. The callused fingertips felt rough against her soft skin. His lips brushed against her ear as he leaned in closer. She tried to pull her head away, but the fingers wrapped around her throat tightened, keeping her immobile.

"True, but not before I play with you first," he chuckled, and ran his tongue along her jaw. Bella felt her stomach churn and bile rise in her throat. "I made a promise to Edward a long time ago, and if there's one thing about me, I always keep my promises." He sighed and caught the lobe of her ear between his teeth. There was a metallic clink as her earring knocked against his teeth. "Pity he won't be here to watch, he might actually learn something."

Bella closed her eyes and allowed her body to go limp with defeat. It was no use. She was alone. There was no one coming to rescue her, no one to fight this battle for her. She accepted her fate - today she was going to die.

A sob escaped her parted lips as she came to the realisation that she would never see Edward again. She would never get to tell him she loved him to his face. She would never feel his arms around her again. One tear, followed in quick succession by another, slid down her cheek and left a warm trail on her icy skin.

Through her misery and Jacob's continued reiterations of what he intended to do to her before he killed her, she heard a sharp "click," and then a voice issued from directly in front of them.

"F.B.I, freeze!" the voice commanded. "Put your gun down and step away from the woman."

Bella's eyes flew open at the familiar voice. It was a voice she hated, but in this particular instance, it sounded like an angel. James stood across from them, his weapon raised, his legs apart. Relief shot through her, but it was short-lived, as Jacob tightened his grasp on her throat, placed the gun to her head and yanked her in front him, using her body as a shield.

"Well, well, well," Jacob said, his voice a taunting sneer. "If it isn't the cavalry?" James' face remained impassive, but his eyes quickly assessed the situation. "Have you come to save the day?"

"I'm giving you a chance, Black," James said, his voice was low and dangerous. "Drop the weapon and let the woman go. It doesn't have to be like this." His eyes went briefly to Bella and then back to Jacob again. "Besides, you've run out of options."

The fingers around Bella's throat flexed and tightened as Jacob took a step backwards, dragging her along with him. She sent a silent plea toward James for him to help her, but he wasn't even looking at her. His eyes were trained on Jacob, completely ignoring her. From the corner of her eye, she caught sight of the grey-white rails of the deck loom into view. _Why was Jacob backing them into a corner? Is he crazy? _she thought frantically_. _

James took one step, then another towards them, but stopped when Jacob took the gun from Bella's head and aimed it at the space between them. He fired off a single shot. There was a hollow, metallic clank as the bullet pierced the deck and hit something beneath. Jacob then pressed the nozzle against Bella's right temple again. The smell of gunpowder burned her nose and the tip of the barrel felt hot against her skin.

"You only get one warning, asshole," Jacob snarled. "Now back off or the next one goes into her head."

James froze, but a small smile lifted the corner of his perfect mouth. He seemed to be enjoying some private joke. His gaze slid to Bella, and after studying her for a few moments, he shrugged nonchalantly as if he found her disinteresting. The threat of some maniac killing her did not seem to faze him. Bella gasped silently.

"Honestly, this is a no win situation," James said, his voice bored. "You shoot her, I shoot you...if you're very lucky, you shoot me." As he spoke, James waved his gun from Bella to Jacob. He then inhaled deeply and tilted his head on a side. "It's all rather tedious and boring, so why don't you just drop your fucking gun and step away for the woman?" His voice was quiet, but there was no mistaking the warning.

Jacob's fingers bit into the soft vulnerable skin of Bella's throat and she wheezed uncomfortably as it became more difficult for her to draw a breath. His hand was a vise, and she fought his hold on her, but that just resulted in him increasing the pressure. Her distress caught James' attention, and his eyes were suddenly riveted on her. He blinked and glanced quickly to the right. It was only after he repeated the motion once more did she understand what he meant. He wanted her to shift to the right.

At the precise moment she decided to move, she heard Jacob mutter _"Fuck this!"_ and swung the gun in James' direction. James involuntarily took a step backwards and yelled a warning to Bella.

"Bella, get down!"

But before she could force her paralysed limbs to obey James' command, two shots rang out simultaneously. A bullet slammed into James and he jerked backwards as if his body was attached to the end of an invisible tether. He stiffened and crumpled to the deck. She screamed, but the sound had barely left her lips before she felt a hot, stinging sensation on her scalp and then the man holding her stumbled backwards. In that instance, something warm and wet sprayed on her. Looking down at her arm, she realised what the warm, wet substance was - blood, and she was covered in it. Another terrified scream left her lips as the hand around her throat tightened and she felt her body being dragged backwards.

She and Jacob hit the rails at the same time. While the rails were intact, the elements and salt air had taken their corrosive toll on the metal. The combined weight of their bodies proved too much for the barrier and Bella felt it give way with a sharp snapping sound. She was momentarily suspended in mid-air and then she felt herself falling.

* * *

**A/N:** Coming soon….Chapter 30


	31. Adjudication

**STOP:**** Before you read this chapter, I need you to go back to Chapter 11 – Bring Me to Life, and read the conversation which occurs between Edward and Emmett. This will help you to understand a section of this chapter.**

**So, here's the much anticipated Chapter 30. Again I'll keep my A/N short so that you can get on with the story. I would have had this chapter to you before, but I experience a few technical difficulties.**

**A million sunny **_"Thank you's"_** go out to **_Sparrow's Lassie (Joan, you ROCK!), magan bagan, fvprosey, Twilightforever, ksw3, Chrissyvs, Biankis, Squisheelee & Evermore001. _**A thank you also goes out to**_ ACullenHeart _**(Your review was fair. I guess some people's writing styles are just different).**

**A special thank you go out to all others who read, reviewed, PMed me and continue to support me.**

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**Chapter 30 - Adjudication**

Emmett barely managed to bring the vehicle to a stop and place it in park before Edward was out the door and making his way across the parking lot towards the police barrier. Edward's sudden exit from the vehicle caught Emmett by surprise, and he fumbled with his keys before hurrying after his brother.

The ride to the dock was completed in tense-filled, nail-biting silence, with the exception of when Edward's phone rang once. It was Shannon and the news was not good. There were reports of gunfire on board the ferry and a body or bodies in the water. By the time they reached the dock, Edward's complexion had gone from pale to ghostly white, and his jaw was set as firm as cement.

Emmett caught up to Edward just as he was entering the barrier. He reached out and grabbed his shoulder just as two policemen caught up to him and dragged him back in an attempt to stop him from breaching the line.

Edward turned and stared at Emmett as if he had forgotten he was there. He blinked and then nodded to the two officers. They released Emmett, but stood nearby in case there was a need for them again. Edward took Emmett by the elbow and led him over to a police vehicle, out of the earshot of everyone else.

"Emmett, this is a crime scene. I can't let you go with me," Edward said, glancing at the approaching ferry.

Emmett followed his glance, and for the first time, the chaos of the situation caught up with him. Barricades made out of yellow crime scene tape cordoned off the area from the lower level of the car park to the ferry's office. Police and F.B.I. officials, all decked out in bulletproof vests and identifying jackets, were trying desperately to hold off the advancing swarm of reporters, family members and curious onlookers. Some people were crying, while others demanded they be told what was happening.

The ferry was being escorted to shore under the watchful eyes of the Harbour Police. The smaller boats hugged each side of the vessel, and from where Emmett stood, he could see passengers waving frantically to people on shore to reassure them that they were unharmed.

The escort boat at the front of the ferry broke formation as the vessel made its final approach and docked. The personnel on-board threw the thick moor lines to their counterparts on land, and they quickly secured the vessel. Within a few minutes, passengers began to disembark, scurrying down the ramp as quickly as their legs could carry them. They were screams of joy as families and friends were reunited. Emmett's eyes searched the throng of passengers, but none of them was the face he sought.

"Do you understand what I'm saying?" Edward asked, bringing Emmett back to reality.

"B-but..." Emmett stammered. He looked lost and confused. He frowned. "What if..." he trailed off and looked down at the tips of his shoes.

Edward drew in a deep breath. He knew what Emmett meant to say, but could not. _What if Bella was dead?_He closed his eyes and tried to imagine what he would do if that proved to be true. Go crazy? Fall apart? He had no answers. All he knew was that right now he was barely hanging onto his sanity, and if he lost it, he did not want Emmett there as a witness. He reached out and gave Emmett's shoulder a comforting squeeze.

"I'll be okay," he assured, doubt stealing the conviction from his words. Emmett frowned. He plowed on before Emmett could voice his skepticism. "But I need you to stay here until I check things out. Can you do that?"

Emmett stared into Edward's eyes for a few seconds and then nodded. He knew he should protest or say something, but anguish made him unable to speak. Edward gave him a grateful look, turned and disappeared through the crowd of law enforcement officials.

The two officers who interceded earlier stepped in front of Emmett, creating a human wall as if to stop him from chasing after Edward. Emmett glared at them and then refocused his eyes on the ferry. He caught a glimpse of Edward's unique coloured hair as he made his way towards the officers standing by the dock.

How long he stood there was anyone's guess. It could have been seconds, it could have been hours, but finally, his brain snapped into gear and with it, the rest of his bodily functions. On numb legs, he made his way back to the SUV.

With each step he took, Emmett slid further and further into despair. _Why was this happening?_ He wondered. Hadn't Jacob Black hurt them enough? He gritted his teeth and folded his hands into fists. First, Edward's shooting, then Bella's accident and Hayley's death, Bella's attack and now this. Why couldn't he just leave them alone? The bastard was like a dark cloud hanging over his family. He prayed that whatever sick, twisted plan Black had in mind would not come to fruition.

This was the third time that Black tried to take Bella's life. Twice directly, once indirectly. Edward only knew of the direct attempts. Only he and Bella knew about that one other time; the time Bella almost died by her own hand.

Emmett's thoughts went back to a time three years ago just after Bella and Edward split up. She moved to Vancouver with Alice, but after a month there, she got the call that Renee was very ill. She moved to Florida, but within two weeks of her arrival, Renee passed away. Bella flew her body back to Forks, where she buried her beside her father, Phil. The entire family attended the funeral, and during that time he saw the first warning signs.

As Bella performed the eulogy, he studied her and realised something was off about her. He knew that she was dealing with a lot, but there was something else—something that made him extremely uneasy and wary. Because of that, he called Alice every day and kept tabs on her after she returned to Vancouver.

Then one night, he had a dream. In the dream, he and his family were back in that same graveyard staring down at four tombstones, not just two. The two new ones seemed to beckon to him, and as he read the names on them, he fell to his knees. The names of Isabella Marie Cullen and Edward Anthony Cullen were engraved on the brilliant white pieces of marble. The dates of their deaths were a week apart. He woke up screaming. When he calmed down, he grabbed the phone and immediately made reservations for the first flight out of Seattle to Vancouver. He never told his parents or Edward where he was going, he just left.

From the moment he got off the elevator on Alice's floor, he immediately knew something was wrong. He did not even bother to knock when he got to the door. He tried the handle and to his surprise, it opened. He went in and what he saw made his dream a possible reality.

Bella was sitting in the middle of the floor, five empty pill bottles set out in front of her. Each bottle had a small heap of pills at its side, with the exception of one. The pills were absent and the glass of water by her hand was half empty. She reached towards another pile of pink coloured pills and grabbed a handful. Before he could contain himself, he was at her side, knocking the pills from her hand. She shrieked like a banshee and fought like a crazy person, but he lifted her and dragged her into the bathroom where he shoved his finger down her throat to induce her gag reflex. She immediately threw up a combination of water and undigested pills, into the sink.

He held her there until he was sure that not one pill remained in her system. Then he stripped her down to her underwear, shoved her into the shower and turned the water on full force. She screamed as the cold water hit her, but he didn't care. She needed to wake up. There was no way in Hell he was allowing her to take her own life and by extension, Edward's. He knew what his dream meant. If Bella died, then so would his brother.

After about twenty minutes, Bella stared at him, recognition finally in her eyes. She seemed confused and asked him why she was standing in the shower in her underwear. He told her and he was not nice about it. By the time he finished telling her off, she was so overcome with grief and exhaustion that she collapsed. He took her to the bedroom, dressed her and tucked her beneath the sheets. He went out into the living room, threw the pills and any others he found into the garbage, straightened any furniture that Bella's wildly kicking legs had overturned, and returned to the bedroom to keep watch over her.

When she woke up hours later, she was in much better shape than when he first arrived. They talked at length, and it was then he realised she blamed herself for everything bad that happened. She was heartbroken, but what hurt most was that she thought Edward blamed her for Hayley's death. That was the main reason she left Washington and Edward. She could no longer stand to see the hatred and disappointment on his face. She did not want to remind him of all the bad things, so it was better for him if she left.

From the time Bella voiced the feelings she had been keeping inside for all the months since the accident and Hayley's death, she began to make an improvement. Internalising her feelings had been slowly poisoning her mind, and that poison had obscured any rational thought. Emmett kept close to her during the next few days, and when he was sure that she was no longer a danger to herself, he left. By mutual agreement, they vowed to never speak about what had happened.

They spoke frequently for the next few weeks, but after Edward went to Vancouver to try to get her back, she broke off all contact after that. He wasn't upset about her decision. He understood her reasons. She needed to move on with her life, but how could she if she was faced with reminders of her past every day? He was a reminder. He was a Cullen.

The blast of a car horn drew Emmett back to the present, and he realised he was standing beside the driver's door, key in hand. As he slid into the front seat of the SUV, he whipped out his cell phone and quickly placed a call to his father. His shoulders slumped forward, and he rested his forehead against the cool steering-wheel.

"Dad," he said, his voice trembling when Carlisle came on the line. "We've got a situation."

* * *

Edward flashed his badge at the group of officers huddled together closer to the water's edge. They snapped to attention and murmured their greetings, but Edward's eyes were focused on two officers making their way off one of the patrol boats, a stretcher between them. On the stretcher laid a white covered figure.

"I need a report," he said, his eyes never wavering from the men and the burden they carried. He could not tell if the body under the sheet was male or female, and the uncertainty almost drove him crazy.

"Details are sketchy," said a sandy haired officer from the SPD. "But from what little information we've received, it appears to be a hostage situation gone wrong. Another man was involved, but we're not sure what the situation is there."

Edward swallowed past the football-sized lump in his throat as he wondered who the "other" man was. Had a passenger been stupid enough to get involved? Had another innocent bystander been hurt because of Jacob?

"W-what about the hostage?" he asked, his voice hoarse.

The officer shook his head. "We're not sure. Two people fell off the edge of the deck, but that's as much as we were able to find out."

Edward clenched his fists and closed his eyes before he lost control. He needed information and he needed it now, but he had to keep calm. As it is, he was already too close to the situation. If he lost it, Shannon would have him off the case faster than he could spit.

"Sir," a voice called to him. Edward's eyes snapped open. To his chagrin, four officers were staring at him with varying looks of curiosity and concern on their faces. One of the men who brought the body to shore stood directly in front of him.

"Yes?"

"We're ready for you to ID the body," the man said, standing aside to allow him passage to the body which now lay on the ground.

It took every shred of control he possessed to walk the few feet to where the body lay shrouded in white. As he stood staring down at the body, he felt his stomach twist painfully. _What ifs_ bombarded his brain. _What if_ Bella lay under that sheet, cold and still in death? _What if_ this was the end? It was almost impossible for him to comprehend what he would do without her.

Was it really just a few days ago that he told her he loved her? It seemed oddly ironic now, and everything else seemed unimportant. All these months he struggled with his feelings for her. All these months he denied his wants and allowed duty to rule his head. Now, it all seemed like a joke, wasted time. If Bella was gone, then that was it. No more chapters in the story. There would be no more chances for them, and it would be his fault.

Jim Bryce, a veteran agent, detached himself from the group of officers watching Edward and came to his side. He laid a hand on his arm, and as Edward stared in to the man's troubled, coffee-coloured face, he knew that Jim understood the turmoil he was going through.

"Cullen, you okay?" he asked, concerned. "Shannon told me what happened."

Edward nodded and squatted beside the body. Jim hankered down beside him. When Edward reached out to grab the sheet, Jim placed his hand once again on Edward's arm.

"If you can't do this..." he trailed off when Edward shook his head vehemently.

"No, it's okay. I've got this." Edward's voice came out harsher than he intended, and he gave Jim an apologetic look.

Jim nodded his understanding and stood up as Edward grasped one end of the sheet between his thumb and index finger. His hand trembled as he tried to find the courage to follow through and lift the sheet. He could feel the eyes of the officers boring into him, but he was past the point of caring.

Gathering all his resolve, he lifted the sheet and gazed upon the face of the newly departed. He let out a silent sob, but it wasn't a sob of grief, but one of relief. There on the stretcher lay a very cold, very dead, Jacob Black. Debris was entangled in his hair and his pallor was waxy. His right eye stared sightlessly up at Edward, its dark pupil now a filmy grey colour. His other eye, or more specific, the area where his left eye should have been, was a mass of shattered bone and jagged, waterlogged skin. From the severity of the injury, Edward was sure that in addition to the trauma to his face, there would be substantial damage to the back of his head where the bullet exited.

Edward replaced the sheet and straightened. He nodded to the two men from the coroner's office who arrived as he examined the body, and were now waiting patiently to cart the body off to the morgue.

He watched transfixed as they transferred the body to a black bag, zipped it closed and moved it to the waiting vehicle. He should be feeling relief that Jacob Black was finally out of their lives, but he didn't. The earlier report received from Shannon specifically said there were two bodies in the water, and the officer said two people, not one, had gone over the edge. So where was the second person? And if it was Bella, where was she?

"What happened to the hostage?" he asked. His question directed to no one in particular.

A few of the officers looked at each other and shrugged. Their blank looks added fuel to the already burning fire in his gut, and he allowed his anger to break through.

"So, you're trying to tell me that with all the resources we have, none of you-" He gestured to the circle of men, "-have a clue what's going on here?" The men looked uncomfortable. "None of you can tell me if the hostage is dead, missing or injured and none of you can tell me how Jacob Black ended up with half his face blown off?" His voice was whip-like, cold and condescending.

The silence was heavy as the men choose to keep their mouths shut in case they unintentionally made the situation worse. Elizabeth McKenzie, a fellow agent, shouldered her way through the sea of men and strode over to his side. She carried a navy jacket in one hand and a radio in the other. Her blond hair was pulled into a ponytail and shoved under her navy, agency-issued cap. Liz was one of the agents he hand-picked to work the Black case.

"Edward, you're needed on-board," she said, her soft voice filled with authority. "We've got a hostage you need to talk to."

Edward's eyes widened. "Talk to?" he repeated, his heart beating faster. "She's alive?"

Liz smiled and nodded. "Yes. A bit banged up, but she's alive." She paused, her blue eyes shadowed. "So is James."

Edward froze. _James was involved? How?_ Liz seemed to read the question in his expression, or maybe he had said the words out loud. He wasn't sure, but he needed to get to the bottom of this.

"James?" Edward echoed, moving away from the crowd of curious policemen and towards the ferry. The vessel was now empty with the exception of law enforcement personnel who were going about their assigned tasks. Liz matched his stride, and he marveled that despite being five inches shorter than he was, she managed to keep up.

Liz nodded and handed the jacket over to him. The letters F.B.I. stenciled in yellow across the back were a startling contrast to the dark material. He shrugged out of his coat, handed it over to Liz and slipped his arms through the sleeves.

"Apparently, he was on his way to the office from lunch when the APB came through," Liz explained when they reached the ferry. She gripped the rails of the ramp that led to the car deck and walked up the slight incline. "He called for back-up, but there was an accident, and with all the road blocks we set up, the ferry was ready to leave before they could get here."

"Was he hurt?"

"Bastard shot him," Liz spat. "Luckily, he was wearing a vest, but it still cracked a rib. The paramedics are fixing him up in the cafeteria, but you can imagine he's giving them hell."

Edward smiled wryly when he thought of the grief James was causing. He hated to be babied. He claimed it was more emasculating than castration. He would go to see him, but after he saw Bella first. She was his first priority, and nothing was going to get in the way of him seeing her.

* * *

Bella shivered beneath the blanket one of the officers had put around her shoulders. However, no amount of blankets would rid her of the cold she felt. It burrowed deep into her soul and took root. A man was killed in front of her. Granted, that man was a murdering, evil creature bent on her destruction, but still, it freaked her out.

She closed her eyes and was transported to the edge of the deck where she almost lost her life. James yelled at her to get down and then Jacob shot him. She remembered screaming all the while thinking he was dead as he collapsed on the deck. Then the pain came, then the blood and momentary panic as they broke through the deck rails. She recalled feeling the rushing air beneath her, and then she dropped like a stone. She hadn't even had the time to scream. She had read somewhere that when you were about to die, your life flashes before your eyes, but she knew that now to be a lie. There was nothing. Just fear and darkness as her brain tried to comprehend how exactly she had ended up in this predicament.

She remembered looking down and seeing Jacob's body plunging through the air, a look of disbelief on the side of his face that still existed. He hit the water with a loud splash and was quickly swept away by the strong current. She knew she would be next, and was preparing to meet a watery end when a hand shot out and grabbed her arm. There was a sharp pain in her shoulder and she smashed into the metal panels of the ferry's side as her descent drew to an abrupt and jarring halt. She cried out as the hand gripping her arm tightened. Shortly after that she felt her limp body slowly being pulled upward. Her gaze went up the arm and then settled on the face of her saviour. James. He was lying flat on the deck, reaching for her with his other arm and yelling.

It took her a few seconds to comprehend what he was saying, but finally the words, _"Bella, give me your other arm!"_broke through the haze surrounding her brain. Forcing her body to obey, she reached up and he pulled her onto the deck. After that, pandemonium ensued and they were surrounded by passengers and crew. She just lay there on the deck, James arms around her as he shouted at the crowd and ordered them to give her some air. She began to shake violently, and then she threw up, barely missing James by a few centimeters. She assumed she blacked out then because the next thing she remembered was lying on a bench surrounded by concerned police officers and being bombarded with questions. James was gone and she panicked, wondering if she was trapped in the middle of a nightmare and he was in fact dead. If he was, then how had she made it onto the deck? One of the officers told her that the agent who saved her was being taken care of by emergency medical personnel and would return when they were finished.

"Miss, can you drink this?" a kind voice asked. Something warm was pressed into her hand. She glanced down at the cup of hot chocolate and then into the face of a pretty blond woman with the warm blue eyes. "I'm Special Agent McKenzie. I need you to do something for me." Bella was exhausted, but she nodded. "I need you to confirm your name."

Bella said the first words that came to her mind. "Isabella Cullen...uh...Swan."

Agent McKenzie's face lit up, and she patted Bella's shoulder through the blanket. "I'll be right back, Bella." Then she was gone.

Bella was buried so deep in her misery that she didn't comprehend the name the woman called her. As if on autopilot, she brought the cup to her lips and took a sip of the hot beverage. The muted, combined flavours of chocolate, cinnamon and cream filled her senses. Her mind was now firmly on one person - Edward. He was going to be extremely upset with her when he found out what happened. Upset and angry.

She cringed and looked around for anyone that might lend her a phone. She needed to call him. The tears welled up in her eyes, and she sniffed dolefully as the need to be with Edward grew. She needed his comforting presence and to feel his arms around her. Placing the cup on the bench beside her, she reached into her jacket pocket and gasped. Her phone was a mass of broken, useless pieces. The display was smashed into a spider-web of jagged lines. She remembered hearing something splinter when she smashed into the ferry's side. Now she knew what the sound was - her phone.

Bella slumped further into the blanket and was about to hand herself over to complete misery when a familiar, velvet voice called her name. She looked up and saw Edward striding across the deck towards her. He looked like hell, but to her, she had never seen a more beautiful sight. She threw off the blanket and flew into his arms when he reached her. Her arms went around his waist and she squeezed him as tightly as she could. Something inside her splintered and the dam of her emotions broke. She buried her face into his chest and let the tears that she had been trying so hard to keep inside, come to the surface.

Edward held Bella in his arms and kissed the top of her head. She was a mess. Her hair was disheveled, her clothing wrinkled and covered in blood and dirt. A series of bruises around her neck resembled a handprint. There was also dried blood in her hair and on the left side of her face and neck. He shoved his face into the layers of her hair so that no one would see his tears. The control he exuded earlier slowly peeled away with every sobbing breath Bella took.

"Baby, it's okay, you're safe now," he crooned, brushing his lips against her temple, forehead and finally her lips. She kissed him desperately, gripping the front of his jacket as if someone was going to rip her from his arms. After a bit, he broke the contact of their lips and looked around. A few agents were watching them with obvious amusement, but when they caught Edward's glare, they immediately lowered their eyes.

Bella's body went limp, and Edward tightened his hold on her before she slid to the floor. Her head was down, but he knew she was conscious as her breath came in ragged spurts and she continued to cling to him. The sobs decreased to a few wet sounding hiccups. He led her back to the bench, sat and drew her onto his lap. She curled into his body, her knees jabbing him in his stomach, but he did not even register the discomfort. He was just thankful that she was alive.

As they sat there, he used his hands to do a preliminary examination of her body to assess for damage. He ran his fingers through her hair, and she flinched when he came in contact with a tender spot. Feeling moisture on his fingers, he pulled them away and saw his fingers were coated with fresh and dried blood.

"What the hell!" he demanded, shifting her so that he could examine her head. There was a laceration along her scalp approximately an inch and a half in length. The hair around the area was missing and blood seeped from the edges and middle of the cut. "Who shot you?"

Bella blinked, not comprehending the question. "Shot me? No one shot me, Edward."

Edward showed her his fingers and she gasped. Before Edward could stop her, she plunged her fingers into her hair and touched the cut. She winced when her fingers made contact with the tender area.

"I guess James did," she muttered, leaning her head into his chest again. "He told me to get out of the way, but I didn't in time." Her voice dropped. "It's probably from the same bullet that killed...him." Her eyes went briefly to the area of the deck now devoid of its safety rails, cordoned off by crime scene tape.

Edward drew her into his arms again and ran his nose along her temple. Bella should not have had to go through this. She should never have had to face Jacob Black alone. If he had used his head and picked up on the signs, he would have figured out she was a target before it got to this stage. If James was not such a good shot, Bella would be dead now, and he would have had to identify two bodies. He shuddered at the thought, and tilting Bella's head, fit his lips over hers. She kissed him back and ran her fingers through the hair at the nape of his neck. He softly kissed each corner of her mouth and then pulled away.

"I've got to go see James," he said, staring into her beautiful eyes. "In the meantime, I'm going to have the paramedics take a look at that wound of yours before it gets infected, okay?"

Bella nodded reluctantly. Edward could see the fear in her eyes at his announcement that he was leaving her. He didn't want to, but he had to see how James was, and to thank him. Without him, Bella would be another victim of Jacob Black. He owed him more than he could say. A paltry "Thank you," would never be enough.

Liz was standing over to the side, and when Edward caught sight of her, he waved her over. He lifted Bella and placed her to sit on the bench. He then took his coat from Liz and helped Bella slip it on. Edward did up the buttons, kissed her forehead once again, and then turned to Liz.

"She needs to be seen by the paramedics. I'll send them up," he said, his eyes still on Bella. "Will you look after her for me until I get back?" Liz nodded and sat beside Bella.

"Hurry back," Bella said, her eyes luminous.

Edward nodded, too overcome with emotion to speak. He turned and disappeared from sight.

* * *

The sounds of muffled cursing reached Edward's ears before he entered through the doors of the cafeteria. He grinned in spite of himself as his partner's ruffled, blond hair came into view. James' shirt was off and a female paramedic was trying to bandage his abdomen. A half empty cup of black coffee and a half eaten sandwich sat beside his hand.

"Goddamn it," he growled, flinching and knocking the woman's hands away. "Where the hell did they teach you to bandage ribs? Bosnia? By the time you're finished, I'm going to be worse off than when you began."

The paramedic glared at James, and he returned her angry stare with a belligerent one of his own. The woman sighed, unwound the bandage, and began again. This time James remained quiet with the exception of a few curses here and there as the paramedic ensured the job was done correctly. She straightened and gave James one more look of disdain, then gathered her equipment and stalked off. As she walked past Edward, she gave him a brief smile.

"I really must apologise for my partner," he said. "He can be a real prick at times, but he's basically a good guy."

The woman threw a disbelieving look over her shoulder in James's direction and shook her head. "At times?" she asked, one eyebrow raised.

Edward chuckled at James' indignant, _"I'm still in the fucking room, you know!"_ The woman stiffened at James' outburst.

"Yeah, you caught him on an off day," Edward explained.

"Must have a lot of those," she muttered, rolling her eyes. "But I guess I'll have to take your word for it."

"Thanks," he grinned. He pointed towards the upper deck. "You're needed upstairs. Scalp laceration." The woman nodded, gave James one more blistering look, then disappeared through the door.

James was slowly slipping his arms into the sleeves of his shirt by the time Edward got to his side. He buttoned it, but left it hanging over his slacks. There was a hole in the fabric, in the area where Edward caught a glimpse of James' bruised skin before the paramedic replaced the bandage.

"What are you doing here? Last time I checked, you were in Denver?" James said, running his hand through his hair. He winced painfully and dropped his arm to his side.

"I got in a while ago," Edward said, sitting on the corner of one of the tables used by passengers.

The last time they stood across from each other, Edward had almost taken the man's head off for his interference in his relationship with Bella. When he left for Denver, they were not on the best of terms. Now, with everything that happened, it seemed unimportant. James almost forfeited his own life in order to save Bella's. Whatever issues they had before were now dead, as far as Edward was concerned. He was forever in James' debt. When he told the man this, James shook his head.

"Don't worry about it. That's what partners are for," he shrugged. "Beside, you would have done the same. So, how is she?"

Edward sighed. "She's a mess as you can imagine. I'm not sure how this is going to affect her."

"I'm really sorry about her being caught in the middle, but that bastard had every intention of taking her with him," James growled, taking a sip from the cup. "The coward was using her as a shield."

Edward nodded. "That explains why you shot her."

James' eyes widened in horror. "What? I shot her? You're fucking kidding me right?"

"Nope. You grazed her," Edward said, pushing away from his perch.

James dropped his face to his palms. "Jesus Christ, Edward. I could have killed her," he thundered, his tanned skin unusually pale.

Edward patted James on the shoulder. "Yes, but thanks to you, she's alive. So don't worry about it."

Edward checked his watch and saw that two hours had gone by since he left Emmett in the parking lot. _Shit! Emmett_. Edward was sure Emmet had worked himself into a frenzy by now and called the family. In all the confusion, he had forgotten to call him and let him know that Bella was safe. Emmett was probably one step away from committing a felony by assaulting an officer of the law in an attempt to get through the police barricade.

"Look, I've gotta go," he said. "I suspect that I'll need to bring Bella in to give an official statement, but right now I just need to get her home."

James waved him away. "Go, man. Do what you need to." His speech faltered, and when he raised his eyes to meet Edward's, he looked contrite. "Tell Bella I'm sorry...about everything."

Edward picked up on James' meaning. He wasn't just apologising for the bullet wound. He was also apologising for what happened over Thanksgiving; the incident that led to the argument between them.

"I will. Thanks again."

* * *

By the time Edward managed to get Bella off the ferry, she was almost dead on her feet. Despite her declarations that she was perfectly capable of walking, he swung her into his arms and carefully made his way off the vessel.

Thankfully, the crowd had dispersed and the area was quiet with the exception of a few reporters who were still hanging around, trying to get an exclusive. One of them hurried toward him, his camera flashing, but one of the officers escorting them through the parking lot stepped into his path and instructed him to either go away or risk being arrested for disturbing the peace. Bella shoved her face deeper into Edward's chest when the bright light from the reporter's camera reached her.

As Edward predicted, the entire Cullen clan was waiting from them. Emmett was pacing back and forth while Rosalie was trying to calm him down. Alice was leaning heavily on Jasper, her small face was pale, her eyes moist with unshed tears. Carlisle was leaning against Emmett's vehicle, his arms around Esme who was crying softly into the front of his shirt. Carlisle's eyes were suspiciously red, and his body was taut with tension.

Alice was the first to see them. When she caught sight of them, she screamed, pushed herself away from Jasper and broke into a dead run. She covered the distance in an extraordinary short span of time. She threw herself at them and tried to wrap her arms around Bella.

"Oh my God, Bella," she cried, peppering Bella's face with kisses. "Are you okay? Did he hurt you?"

"Alice," Bella complained weakly, as Alice tried once again to hug her but only succeeded in jabbing her in the ribs with her elbows. "Ouch! Get your elbows out of my side."

Alice looked embarrassed. "Sorry," she apologised, but was cut off from saying more when Emmett pushed her gently aside. His red-rimmed eyes took her in and stopped at the small bandage on her head. His throat worked quickly as he tried to hold onto his emotions.

"You're hurt," he said gruffly, brushing his fingers against the bandage.

Bella raised her hand to her head and then smiled. "But I'll live."

Emmett folded his hands into fists. "I'll kill him, I swear," he announced, a vein pulsating in his forehead.

"Too late," Edward muttered as the rest of the family surrounded them. Emmett gave him a questioning look which Edward answered with a quick nod of his head. Immediately Emmett looked happier, and a grim smile tugged at his lips.

Rosalie peeped around Emmett's arm, staring worriedly down at Bella. She was pale, and Bella reached out to her and entangled her fingers with hers. Rosalie gave her a comforting squeeze and an anxious smile.

Embarrassment at being treated like an invalid took hold of Bella, and she struggled in Edward's arms. He tightened his hold so she would not eject herself and fall to the ground. She stared up at him and rolled her eyes. A small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth, and his eyes twinkled. Rebellion was written all over Bella's face.

"Edward, you can put me down now," she said exasperated.

"No," he remarked, a smile in his voice.

As Edward moved them closer to Emmett's vehicle, Emmett disengaged the locks and opened the doors. He deposited her gently onto the seat, kissed her forehead and took a step back. Esme approached, elbowed her way through the members of her family, and reached out to Bella.

She framed Bella's face with her hands and drew her against her body in a gentle hug. It was almost as if she was afraid to hurt Bella if she held on too tight. Bella, on the other hand, was not so hesitant. Her arms went around Esme's waist and she gave her a fierce hug.

"Bella, are you okay? My God, you scared us," Esme whispered tearfully into Bella's hair. "Did he hurt you?"

Bella shook her head, but they all knew it was a lie. While Jacob Black might not have physically hurt her, the damage he caused to her psyche was another matter altogether. This was another scar added to the ones she obtained during the past few months. Some scars would heal with time, but Bella suspected that this one would be with her for life.

* * *

From where he stood, he was afforded an unobstructed view of the activities happening on the dock, the ferry and in the parking lot. He watched as the Cullens surrounded Bella and Edward, copious amounts of grief pouring from them. He could almost taste it from where he stood, and it was too much for him to take. They had their precious little pet back, so what was the big deal? They were acting like she was dead. But she wasn't. She was alive and would eventually recover from the ordeal.

For once the annoying voice in his head was silent. He gave a cheery whistle as the realisation that the plan he had orchestrated had gone off without a hitch. _Ding-dong! The witch is dead,_ he thought and chuckled at his rather bad joke. Of course in this case it wasn't a witch that was dead, but Jacob Black. A bullet from a .38 thankfully exorcised that particular thorn in his side. Hopefully by now, the bastard was roasting in Hell with the devil and his minions. There would be no redemption for that one.

He buttoned his jacket closed, slipped on his gloves and sighed contentedly. Stage one of his plan was complete. Now it was time to move to stage two - make Bella aware of his presence. He had the perfect thing that would announce his arrival, but it would depend on whether or not that brain of hers cooperated. If she did not remember, then he would have to quickly put the remaining aspects of stage three into place and roll out the plan a bit earlier than he anticipated. He hated being rushed. He was extremely methodical when it came to setting traps for his prey. Any unforeseen event could doom that plan to failure, and therefore, get him caught.

That was one of the reasons he decided to wait until after the holiday season. Well, that and the fact that deep down inside, he really was a sick, sadistic bastard with a twisted sense of humor. It gave him great satisfaction that the Cullens now considered themselves and Bella safe. They would relax and let their guard down. When the time came for him to pounce, they would be taken completely by surprise. He could imagine the looks on their faces when they realised Bella was gone, snatched from right under their self-righteous noses.

So even if she did not remember after he presented his little token, he would stick to his original plan. He had invested way too much time into this to muck it up now. He would ensure that every other aspect of his plan was foolproof and his little hideaway undetectable. When he finally had Bella in his grasp, he did not want to be rushed or interrupted.

Not like that asshole Jacob. What had been his great plan anyway? Drag her off the boat, rape her behind a bush and then kill her? He shook his head. What an idiot. It was why he ended up dead. The man had absolutely no vision in that thick head of his.

Bella wasn't someone to just use for the moment and then discard like a piece of garbage. She was like a fine, aged wine. Only a connoisseur would fully appreciate the flavor and body of the wine. Only a person with a highly evolved palette could detect the subtle differences needed to determine whether or not a wine was suitable for consumption. He had "tasted" Bella and considered her fit for consumption - his.

He turned from the happy little family reunion and sighed. _Soon_. Soon all this would be over, the need for subterfuge would be at an end, and he would have his prize. And after he finished playing with his toy, he would be free of the hold she had on him. Free to pick up where Jacob left off and rule his newly won kingdom - Seattle.

* * *

Bella rolled over in the bed, reached out toward Edward and found the area beside her empty. An indentation in the pillow and mattress was the only evidence that he had been there with her. The sheets on his side of the bed had cooled, signifying that he had been gone for a while.

She sat up quickly, moaning at the pain in her shoulder, and switched on the bedside lamp. The muted light from the lamp filled the once dark room with its soft hue, and as her eyes adjusted to the brightness, they darted frantically around until she found what she sought. She sighed in relief. Edward was sitting in the armchair by the window, watching her.

He was still wearing the clothes he was in when she fell asleep earlier - grey T-shirt and navy pajama bottoms, but the expression on his face was different. He looked preoccupied and it scared her. The last time she had seen that look was when she returned from Forks and he turned both their lives upside down with his declaration that he was not in love with her. He gave her a small smile, but that did not ease the anxiety she felt. If anything, it increased it tenfold.

"Edward," she whispered, sliding her legs from beneath the sheet and placing her feet on the floor.

He unfolded his frame from the chair in one fluid movement and came to her. However, instead of sitting beside her on the bed, he got down on his knees and knelt in front of her. He took her hands in his and gently kissed her palms. Then he did something that scared her. He laid his head on her lap, gripping fistfuls of her nightgown as a shudder ran through his body. A few more tremors shook his body before she realised he was crying. Great heaving, strangled sobs came from him as Bella sat there frozen in shock. She had never seen him cry before. Not once. Not even while she was in the hospital in Vancouver. He always seemed so in control of himself and his surroundings. This was the last thing she expected.

Bella placed her hands gently on Edward's head and using her fingers, massaged a soothing path through his hair and down to the nape of his neck. She did this a few times, and eventually the tremors coursing through Edward's body slowed and then stopped altogether. His breathing was harsh and uneven, but he seemed more at ease now. He snuggled his face deeper into her lap and sighed.

"I'm sorry," he murmured, his voice muffled. "I'm so, so sorry. Can you ever forgive me?"

Bella's eyes widened. "Forgive you? What on earth for?"

Edward raised his head and stared into her eyes. His face was flushed from his tears, and his eyes were green pools rimmed by red. She ran her fingertips across his whiskered jaw, and he turned his head so that his lips came in contact with her fingers. He kissed each one before taking her hand in his and placing it against his chest.

"For leaving you alone. For not being there for you. For adding weight to the burden you already carry." He paused and another shudder ran through his body. "But mostly, for putting your life in danger. Can you ever forgive me?"

Bella placed both her hands on the sides of his face and forced him to look at her. He looked so dejected that it almost broke her heart. It would be just like Edward to blame himself for something that he had no control over. He probably blamed himself for the attack in Vancouver as well.

"Edward, none of this was your fault," she said firmly. He began to protest, but she placed a hand over his mouth, silencing him. "No, let me speak. The fact that a madman chose to attack me had nothing to do with you. He made his choice."

Edward shook his head and removed her hand. "It is my fault. I need to tell you something about Jacob Black, about the reason why he chose you."

For the next half hour, Edward explained to Bella how their past and Jacob Black's intersected and meshed together like a tightly woven rope. He left out the part about the accident and Hayley's death, but he told her everything else. How Jacob had laid siege to Seattle with his criminal activities and how he had been assigned to the case from the beginning. How Jacob tried to bribe him by using her career as an attractive tidbit. And when that tactic failed, how he used threats against her to try to get Edward to do his bidding. He told her what happened in the prison the first time he saw Jacob after all those years. How he lost control and almost killed him. He suspected that was the act that inflamed the situation and ultimately made him come after her again.

"Was that why you told me you weren't in love with me anymore? You were trying to protect me?" she asked softly. Edward nodded. "Edward, why didn't you just talk to me about it instead of making a decision like that? You risked losing me. Do you realise that?" Exasperation sounded in her voice.

Bella did not need to say it, but he knew she meant Liam, and she was correct. He almost lost her to the man because of his need to make unilateral decisions and not communicate. It was what got him into trouble four years ago. Looking back, it was obvious he learned nothing from the past experience.

"I know, and I'm sorry," he said, his voice hoarse. "I just have this need to protect you...even from myself."

"What does that mean?" Bella asked, perplexed.

Edward sighed, took her hands between his and brought them to his lips. He kissed each of her knuckles before turning her palms over and kissing those. Bella knew he was stalling for time, and that worried her. She could almost see the gears shifting in Edward's head, and whatever he was thinking about was definitely not something she wanted to hear.

"Edward," she prompted, frowning. "What does that mean?"

"It means, I've got a decision to make."

Bella felt her stomach drop and settle somewhere in the region of her pelvis. _Oh no, not this again,_ she thought readying herself for a fight. He was _so_ not pulling that stunt again.

"And that decision is?" she asked, anger coating her words.

Edward was so caught up in his thoughts that he did not hear the anger in her voice. He just continued to massage her hands as if this action helped him to process the activity going on in his head.

"I have to decide when the best time would be to quit my job," he said, quietly. "Now, or after all the fallout from this is over."

Bella's mouth fell open. She expected Edward to say that he wanted them to split up, not that he had to quit his job. A job that she knew he loved and was damn good at. Because of him, people were alive and safe. Now, because of her, he was willing to give it all up.

"No, Edward," she said firmly. "You are not quitting your job and that's final."

He raised his eyebrows at the conviction in her voice. He chuckled bitterly. "I'm not sure that's your decision to make. Besides, it's necessary."

Bella yanked her hands from his and folded them into fists. "Why is it necessary? Because you're afraid that the next case you take some psycho will come after me?" Edward's expression remained blank, but she knew that was the rationale behind his decision. "That's not a reason, Edward. It's an excuse, and if you make that choice then I'm leaving. I'll go back to Canada, I swear."

Bella's threat took Edward by surprise. He stared into her eyes, but all he saw there was firm resolve. He knew when Bella got like this there was no changing her mind. If he quit his job, he would lose her, and that was something he was just not willing to let happen. It almost killed him today when he thought she was hurt or worse.

He sighed. She had him by the balls, and the triumphant little smile she gave him said she knew exactly how much pressure to apply to make him squirm. He frowned at her and then placed his hands on the soft skin of her bare legs.

"Fine," he grumbled, inching his fingers under the hem of the nightgown. The cool, gossamer fabric brushed against his fingers as he moved them higher. "You win...this time, but if I think there's a danger to you or anyone else in my family, I am out and nothing you say will change my mind. If you leave, I'll hunt you down and make you miserable until you agree to take me back. Understood?"

Bella giggled and squirmed as Edward's wandering fingers brushed against her outer thighs and then across the skin along the waistband of her panties. He lowered his head, his mouth following the path of his fingers, dropping kisses across her goose pimpled skin. The minuscule beads dotted the landscape of her flesh. Bunching the fabric of the nightgown at her waist, he kissed her hip and using his teeth, began to slowly pull her panties down. She moaned when his teeth grazed her skin and raised her hips to assist him with the intimate disrobing.

The miniscule piece of yellow, cotton fabric with blue and red stars stamped across its surface resisted at first, but with perseverance, he got it around her knees. Using his hand, he yanked it off and threw it carelessly over his shoulder. Once his T-shirt followed, he resumed the task of kissing her thighs once again, slightly parting her legs.

Bella shivered as his lips moved up, closer and closer to her core, and when he kissed her there, she moaned and fell backwards on the bed. His breath tickled the bare skin as he continued to brush feather-light kisses along her hip and pelvis.

Every time she felt him getting closer she would tense, but then he would give attention to another section of skin. Within a few minutes, she was a trembling, nervous wreck. She moaned in frustration and was about to voice her objections when he parted her legs and settled his mouth over her centre. When his tongue parted the delicate folds and touched her, she almost jumped a mile in the air, but Edward seemed to be expecting her sudden movement and gripped her hips firmly, holding her immobile.

Every touch was magnetic; every time he tasted her was like being in the middle of an electrically charged storm. Her breathing increased until it was a harsh, rasping sound in the otherwise quiet room. As the first flames of desire unfurled in the depths of her stomach and licked along her skin, a strangled plea left her lips.

Her pleas transformed into sobs as the tension in her core grew. Before she could contain it, it exploded outwards and obliterated everything in its path. She stiffened, clutching the sheets in her fists as the waves of her orgasm took over. Her hips bucked uncontrollably, and a muffled, pleasure-filled scream left her lips.

Her chest rose and fell quickly as she slowly came back to Earth, but Edward wasn't finished with her yet. He reached up, captured one hardened, aching nipple between his fingers and flicked his tongue over the still pulsating nub of her clit. Her back arched and before she knew it, she was in the throes of another soul-shattering, mind-blowing orgasm.

Bella was still shivering when Edward straightened, shrugged out of his pants and flipped her over on her stomach. She cried out when he gripped the tangled mess that was her nightgown and tugged. There was a ripping sound as the delicate material parted down the front in a jagged tear and then fell away from her body. He pushed her further up on the bed, and then she felt him against her back. She automatically arched her spine, but he placed his hand in the centre of her back and pushed her gently down onto the mattress.

"No, don't move," he instructed, his voice rough with passion.

Before Bella could grasp the meaning of his words, he was gone. She lay there feeling horribly exposed and just a bit embarrassed. Her unsteady breathing punctured the silence of the otherwise empty room as she waited for Edward's return. Where did he go? Why did he insist that she stay on her stomach?

Her idle mind drifted back to what had just taken place. She buried her face into the mattress and moaned loudly when a flash fire of heat arced across her body. She could still feel his mouth on her. Since they rekindled their romance, Edward had never done that to her. He was always so sweet and gentle with her. With the exception of the first time they had made love in the shower, she had never seen this side of him. It was exciting and she had to admit, she liked it.

Reaching out, she grabbed the sheet and was pulling it towards her when it was snatched from her grasp. She felt the mattress dip as Edward returned to the bed. He straddled her thighs and then leaned down to kiss her back. He placed tender, little kisses up the curve of her spine until he reached the nape of her neck.

"Where did you go?" she asked, trying to turn over so that she could see him. His weight on her legs made it impossible, so she gave up.

"Miss me?" he teased, his lips against her ear. The feel of his breath and the tickle from his unshaven face brought about another delicious tingle.

She rose up on her elbows as Edward shifted so that he settled himself in a more comfortable position across the backs of her thighs. He then reached beneath her and gently tapped her elbow so that she would lay flat on the bed. She did as he instructed and was about to ask him what was going on when something warm dripped on her back. She inhaled sharply as the liquid ran down her spine and pooled in the small of her back. The scents of lavender and vanilla drifted across her senses, calming her.

"Edward, what are you doing?" she asked languidly, her eyes drifting closed as he dipped his fingers into the liquid on her back.

"Shh," he instructed softly, beginning a slow, sensual massage of her lower back and buttocks.

His talented fingers began to work their magic on her tense muscles, and before he made it to the center of her back, she was putty beneath his hands. Jasper was good, but Edward was heaven in a touch. She groaned as his thumbs worked on a particularly tense area and felt the muscles release with the equivalent of a small _pop_. The massage oil he placed on her skin was having the most unusual effect on her. The areas where he placed his hands grew hot and that combined with his ministrations, caused liquid warmth to pool between her thighs. His hands moved up her back, paying special attention to the muscles along her spine.

"If you still want to quit your job, I'm all for it," she moaned, feeling his oil-coated fingers brush the undersides of her breasts. "I'll pay you to do this to me all day long."

Edward chuckled. "How would you ever get any work done? I'd have to offer my services to other clients to make ends meet."

Bella's eyes snapped open. "You just try it, buddy," she growled, but settled down once again when he laughed and gave her a gentle smack on the bottom.

"Don't worry, I'm yours. Now and forever," he promised, leaning forward and kissing the special spot behind her ear that always left her weak-kneed. As his hands continued to glide over the smooth contours of her back, his tongue darted out and traced the delicate shell of her ear. Bella literally purred with pleasure.

He continued the upward strokes of his fingers until he reached her shoulders, then he stiffened. Bella felt his eyes on the black and blue bruise that shadowed the pale skin of her shoulder. It was the same shoulder she injured in her attempt to escape Jacob Black, and was just another reminder of that dreadful event.

Bella bit her lip as the memories threatened to extinguish the pleasure she felt. Edward was contemplative again and that worried her. Would he withdraw from her? He seemed frozen above her as he continued his visual inspection of her injuries. She closed her eyes, barely breathing, fighting back her fear as her throat grew thick.

It seemed like an eternity before Edward sighed, leaned down and brushed his lips across the sore area. He straightened, but continued to stroke the skin with soft, gentle sweeps of his fingers as if committing the size and shape of the bruise to memory.

Angry tears pooled in Bella's eyes. Jacob Black was gone. He wasn't a part of their lives anymore, and she'd be damned if she allowed him to mar something so pure and beautiful. There was no way he would intrude on their lives - not anymore. The hands beneath her chin balled into fists.

"No," she whispered, her voice firm. Edward's fingers stilled. "Don't let him do this to us. Don't. Let. Him. Win."

Edward shuddered as her words hit their mark. Bella was right. To allow Jacob to further intrude in their lives would be another victory for him. He succeeded three years ago in separating them, but Edward was not going to let it happen again. It was time to break the chain that tied them together. It was time for them to be finally free. He reached down, drew a lock of Bella's hair out of the way and placed a lingering kiss on the side of her neck.

"Okay," he agreed and pressed his body closer to hers.

Relief washed over her as she felt the hard length of Edward's desire against her back. They could finally move on. Feeling invigorated and unusually confident from her small victory, she arched her back, raised her lower body and threw a coy, inviting look over her shoulders.

Edward's eyes smoldered at the invitation. He inhaled sharply when the delicious wiggle of her derriere brought her flush against him. The liquid warmth of Bella's body seemed to beckon him, and he groaned as he felt whatever little self-control he possessed evaporate like water on a hot griddle. Keeping his eyes trained on hers, he grasped her hips and plunged into the tight, hot depths of her body. She cried out when their bodies merged, and as he began to thrust slowly in and out of her molten core, he felt her tighten around him.

Bella moaned as each of Edward's thrusts seem to pull him deeper and deeper into the cocoon of her body. There was just something so primitive about being taken this way. She had absolutely no control as Edward became the master of her body. He owned her - mind, body and everlasting soul.

Drawing her closer to him, Edward's hand moved across the quivering muscles of her abdomen until her left breast lay in his palm. His other hand made its way between her legs, touching her at the point where their bodies became one. She whimpered when one of his fingers slipped inside her crowded passage, and screamed when another found the overly-sensitive nub of her clit and massaged. The taut band of mounting desire snapped and broke as Bella came apart in Edward's arms.

Edward threw his head back, gritting his teeth as he felt the familiar tightening in his lower body. He wanted to prolong their pleasure, but the sweet keening noises coming from Bella's lips and the vise-like grip she had on him, was too much. He surrendered, giving himself over to the tidal wave of pleasure that pulled him in and drowned him in its depths. Her name was the last thing on his lips as he let go and spilt himself far into the depths of her quaking body.

They stayed like that, joined, until the tremors stopped and their bodies cooled. Edward detached himself from Bella's slick, perspiration coated back and collapsed onto the bed on his side. He drew her limp body against his and sighed contentedly when her bottom fit perfectly into the hollow of his groin. Wrapping his arm around her waist, he kissed the damp skin of her shoulder and the back of her neck.

Edward was completely mystified. Sex between them had always been excellent, but he had never experienced anything like this. It was intense, volatile and wild. It was like something buried deep down inside awoke and clawed its way to the surface.

Then the reliasation hit him. Bella was quiet, too quiet. Other than the sharp rise and fall of her chest, he would have thought her asleep. It worried him. Had he hurt her? Scared her? After today's ordeal, it probably was not such a good idea to make love to her, and definitely not like that. He grimaced. What was he thinking? She must think him an insensitive, selfish beast.

"Bella," he whispered, a lump forming in his throat. "Are you all right? D-did I hurt you?" He touched the small square of material on her head that covered the flesh wound. "How's your head?"

She stiffened in his arms and his heart plummeted. Slowly, she turned in his arms so that she was now facing him. Her eyes were down, but when she tilted her face to stare him in the eyes, his breath caught in his throat. Her eyes were huge, her cheeks flushed, and she was smiling. She placed a hand on his cheek and kissed him softly. As her tongue slipped between his lips and teased his, he felt his body stir. Bella giggled quietly and then pulled away.

"Edward, you can never hurt me," she whispered, leaning her forehead against his. She continued to caress his jaw. "I love you and you need to stop worrying about me so much, understand?"

His mouth twisted into an embarrassed smirk. "Okay, okay," he acquiesced, drawing her tightly against his chest. He brushed his knuckles across her jaw and tilted her chin. He caught her lips between his in a gentle, reassuring kiss that curled her toes. "Bella..."

"Hmmm?" she muttered as he continued to make love to her mouth. She sighed when his tongue swept across her bottom lip and then slowly made its way into her mouth. For the briefest of moments, they shared the same life-giving breath.

"You mean everything to me. You're like my oxygen," Edward confessed. "Without you, I'm nothing - just a broken, useless shell. I will _never_ leave you again." As he said this, his voice broke, the memory of his earlier fear of her being lost to him, coming to the surface. "You are my life, and I'll love you forever."

The tears she was holding during Edward's short speech spilled over and streamed silently down her cheeks. She shoved her face into the crook of his neck and held on until the fatigue of the day's happenings overtook them and sent them spiraling into the sweet arms of oblivion.

* * *

As the two lovers slept inside the house wrapped in each other's arms, the shelter of their love surrounding them, he stood outside and watched the house with an intensity that could have caused it to burst into flames and obliterate all the occupants within. He rubbed his thumb across the engraved surface of the locket he held in his hand the way a priest would favour his rosary or a monk would finger his prayer beads. A sadistic smile made its way across his lips.

"_Soon_," he whispered, pocketing the piece of jewelry and walking away from the house. "Soon."


	32. Family

**WARNING! This chapter contains violence. If you are opposed or find such things distasteful, please STOP here. If you choose to read further, please remember that you were warned. Now that that is out of the way, let's continue.**

**My deepest apologies for the extremely long wait, but life got in the way, tried to steal my creativity and my computer broke down.**

**To this end, I will try to make this A/N short as the story is more important than you listening to me babble on and on.**

**A quick THANK YOU goes out to **_3c Cullen, Sparrow's Lassie, savvyfalls, 7Kat Pat, Twilightforever, we live for love, ksw3, annie _**and**_ minxiepixxie12_**. To all others who have reviewed and I have not thanked personally, my heartfelt thanks go out to you for your support and appreciation.**

**And, here we go…..**

**Chapter 31 – Family**

The sound of doors opening and closing, footsteps, furniture scraping across the floors, and voices drifted up the stairs. Bella smiled. It was Christmas Day, and all the sounds and mouth-watering array of aromas, all lent to the festive and comforting atmosphere.

There was a crash somewhere below, immediately followed by a colourful barrage of expletives from Emmett. The sound of Esme's indignant voice chastising him for his foul language made Bella chuckle. As soon as everyone arrived that morning, Esme whipped out her list and promptly put them to work assisting with the various aspects of dinner preparation and room reorganisation. Bella offered to help, but Esme shooed her out of the kitchen with the directive that she go back to bed as she had more than enough hands available. Bella shook her head. Esme was sometimes worse than a mother hen, if that was possible.

Bella drew the off-white, cowl necked cashmere sweater over her head and smoothed the soft material over the curves of her hips. She ran her fingers across the area where James' bullet left its mark. The hair was in the process of re-growth and in a couple of weeks, would completely camouflage the scar.

Using her hairdressing expertise, Alice managed to blend the short ends into the layers of her hair. It was an extremely good effort and made her feel less self-conscious about what Emmett jokingly referred to as her 'battle scar'. While she knew that Emmett meant it all in jest, it always brought Bella back to that day when she almost lost her life on the ferry.

It seemed a lifetime ago that she was clinging to James' outstretched hand to avoid plunging to her death into the icy, turbulent waters of The Sound. But in reality, it was just three, short weeks. Three weeks where she had been caught up in a whirlwind of chaos and so much change, that she almost had trouble keeping track.

The day after Edward brought her home from the ferry, he escorted her to the F.B.I headquarters to make an official statement. She was uncomfortable with the prospect of having to regurgitate the entire experience, but Liz, the agent who sat with her on the ferry while Edward went in search of James, was patient and allowed her to go at her own pace.

All through her testimony, Edward sat quietly on the opposite side of the room, his presence bringing calm to her frayed nerves. After a while, she began to doubt the credibility of her story even though she knew her words to be the truth. The entire thing sounded more like something out of a movie.

As she went deeper in detail, Edward's agitation increased. When she reached the point where Jacob muttered his vile, perverted promises, Edward abruptly left the room. Shortly afterwards, she heard a crash and then James' head poked around the door with assurances that everything was okay. As Bella looked into James' eyes, she knew he was lying. Edward was far from _okay_.

That night, as she and Edward lay side-by-side in silence, not touching; she cursed the wedge Jacob Black had forced between them. It galled her that the man's influence from the grave was still as powerful as if he was still alive. As she laid there, she tried desperately to find a solution to the problem until an idea came to her.

As soon as Edward left for work, the next day, she grabbed Alice and put her plan into action. Together, they moved her belongings into Edward's bedroom. She hoped that this would be the first step towards healing and finally putting the insanity of Jacob Black behind them.

It was the perfect move. Edward was jubilant. He took her into his arms and hugged her so tight that she almost could not breathe. He apparently wanted to make the suggestion, but did not want to add pressure to an already difficult situation.

Bella was relieved that finally they could move forward with their lives as a couple, but her lost memories still plagued her and put a damper on her happiness. However, she accepted the fact that she might never regain her full set of memories. It made no sense to hold up her life when the chance of a full recovery seemed to slip further away as time progressed. She would make new memories, she decided, and they would be even better than the original ones.

The sudden media storm that followed the incident held them back further. Once the press found out that she was Jacob Black's intended target she, became an overnight celebrity. She spent most of the first week dodging their constant calls and requests for interviews. While they seemed intent to rake the embers of her pain, Bella just wanted to put it behind her.

When the members of the press couldn't get to her or her family, they chose to pursue a different angle; Jacob Black's story. They dug up every piece of information they could find on him and hurriedly put together a documentary.

Bella was lying on the couch, with her head on Edward's lap when she came across it on the television. At first, Edward tried to yank the remote from her hand and change the channel, but she wasn't having it. She reminded him of his promise to stop trying to protect her and that put an end to his objections. He grudgingly sat back with a frown on his face, and watched in tense silence. At every mention of her name, his or of the F.B.I. by the narrator, Edward's disposition grew surlier.

By the end of the programme, he was furious, bordering on murderous. The documentary made Jacob Black out to be a misunderstood individual, victimised by the F.B.I. They made the entire time Edward spent on the case seem like a witch-hunt, that culminated in Jacob's death at the hands of an overzealous law enforcement official, James Wynters.

When Bella finally managed to calm Edward down, she reflected on the new insight she now had into the man who had tormented their existence. She realised that Edward had downplayed the situation. Jacob Black was a hundred times more evil than Edward let on. The man was a cruel, sadistic person who cared for nothing or no one but his own pleasures and financial gain. When she heard of some of his alleged crimes, she was thankful that she managed to escape with just a sore shoulder and a scalp wound. It could have been worse; much worse.

A few days after the story broke, Liam called. With all attention the entire incident attracted, the foreign networks had picked up the story. Liam was in Dubai travelling with the British Prime Minister and his envoy when he saw the news. Due to the eleven-hour difference in time between them, his call came through at 1:00am. Edward gently shook her awake and handed her the phone. He gave her a hesitant smile, but left the room to give her privacy.

Liam was in a state of panic, to say the least. He offered to catch the next flight back to Washington and serve as her protector. Bella assured him that she was okay and had an over abundance of protectors. Liam was silent, as he digested this piece of information. Then in a casual tone, he asked if Edward was one of her protectors. Her answer of "Yes," coupled with the time difference and the fact that Edward answered her cell phone at 1:00am, made the situation glaringly obvious.

As the conversation continued, Bella heard the disappointment and sadness in his voice, and guilt overwhelmed her. She should have told him. He shouldn't have found out that way. By the time they finished speaking, she felt that it was quite possible that she had lost a very good friend.

Bella drifted over to the window and stared outside. The sky was a wall of grey. Patches of blue tried their best to break through, but were quickly swallowed by the expanding gloom. The trees closer to the house were skeletal, their bare limbs covered in a blanket of snow and icicles. The leaves which covered and protected them all throughout the year, were now buried beneath the cold, frosty earth. She longed to throw open the windows and take a whiff of the cold, clean air she knew was waiting on the outside.

Since the ferry incident, she took pleasure in the little things. The smell of fresh muffins, hot from the oven. The feel of a soft breeze against her skin. The fragrance of the world as it was washed clean by the ever present rain of the Pacific Northwest. The feel of Edward's body moving against hers as they made love. For all those things and more, she had to be thankful. And she was, and she owed it all to God and James.

Bella sighed as her thoughts unwillingly went to her savior. Things weren't perfect between them, but they struck an unspoken truce. While she still did not feel comfortable with him and could not forget what happened between them before, regardless of how much he apologised, she was now willing to give him a chance. After all, he had saved her life; for that, and nothing else, she owed him.

Because of this, she invited him over for Christmas Day. Edward told her that James usually spent the day alone as his parents were dead, and the only sister he had, lived out east. The siblings weren't close and hadn't communicated in years. She felt sorry for him.

James seemed genuinely pleased and surprised by the request, but declined. He explained that his sister, having heard about his near-death experience, contacted him and they agreed to meet over the holiday. Bella had to admit that even though she felt indebted to James, she was relieved that he would not be there. It made her feel slightly guilt, but the memory of their last encounter at Thanksgiving was still fresh in her mind.

A knock on the door yanked her down to Earth. As she turned, the door opened and Emmett stuck his head inside. When she gestured for him to enter, he quickly stepped inside and closed the door behind him.

Bella's eyes fastened on Emmett's reindeer patterned red, green and white tie and she tried not to laugh. She had to hand it to him, only Emmett could get into the festive season by wearing something that a weaker man would not dare to be caught dead in.

Emmett pointed a thumb behind him and grimaced. "Can I hide out here for a few? Mom is driving me nuts," he rolled his eyes. "She's like a drill sargeant. She's got poor Edward basting the turkey, Jasper setting the dinner table to industry specifications and Dad…well let's just say that he suddenly remembered that he had an e-mail to send off to his relief at the hospital. He disappeared about half hour ago." Emmett frowned. "E-mail my eye. He's hiding out until the smoke clears. Humph!"

Bella giggled, took a seat on the bed and patted the space beside her. She doubted a hiding place was Emmett's only reason for seeking her out. Since her return from Vancouver, she and Emmett had become close, but since the day on the ferry, they were closer than ever.

Emmett sat on the bed and exhaled in relief. He turned to her and grinned. "So, how are you?"

"I'm fine," she said, clearing her throat as emotions rushed to the surface. She turned to give him a reassuring smile.

"Are you sure?" he asked dubiously, his dark eyebrows a line across his forehead.

Bella sighed. It made no sense lying to Emmett. He always managed to furrow out the truth. She reached over, took his large hand in her smaller one and gave it a squeeze.

"Honestly, I'm not." Emmett looked alarmed, but she continued before he could get a word in. "But, it's getting better every day." She gave him a gentle smile. "And I have you to partially thank for that."

"You do?" Emmett asked, taken aback.

Bella nodded. "Yes, you've taken extra special care of me, and for that, I thank you," she smiled, feeling her eyes begin to tear. "I couldn't want for a better brother."

Emmett blushed and smiled, making Bella laugh. She threw her arms around him, and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

The door opened, and an indignant yell made them jump. They both turned to see Edward standing in the middle of the doorway, a look of mock anger on his face.

"Hey, buddy, hands off my girl," he growled, taking a menacing step into the room. "It's Christmas Day. Don't let me have to kick your ass."

Emmett threw back his head and roared with laughter. The bed shook and Bella had to hold onto the edge so that she would not fall to the floor.

"I'd like to see you try?" Emmett guffawed, winking at Bella. "And for the record, she hugged me, but can you blame her?" He gestured to his body and Edward rolled his eyes.

"Dream on. Now, get your mitts off my woman or I'll tell Rose. Who by the way, is looking for you."

At Edward's mention of Rosalie, Emmett straightened and stood quickly.

"Is she okay?" he asked, worry in his voice. Even though Rosalie was past the most critical stage in her pregnancy, Emmett still worried about her constantly.

Edward nodded. "Yeah. She just wants your help with getting the gifts from the car and putting them under the tree," Edward grinned. "What did you two do? Clean out the stores?"

Emmett reached out a hand and smacked Edward on the back of the head as he went by. Edward yelped and shoved him playfully.

"That's why no one got you anything but a lump of coal," Emmett snickered, bounding through the door and closing it behind him with a sharp snap.

Bella was still giggling when Edward dropped onto the bed beside her. His arm immediately went around her shoulders and his face nuzzled the curve of her neck. She gave a tiny shriek when he nibbled on the soft skin he found there. She pushed him away and quickly slid off the bed.

"Edward! Stop that," she admonished, taking another step backwards to put herself just out of the reach of his grasping hands. "We don't have time for _that_ now." He tried to grab her waist, but she slapped his hands away.

Edward wiggled his eyebrows. "There's always time for _that_," he corrected. He crooked his finger at her. "Come here, woman."

"Edward, no," she said, shaking her head and taking another two steps away from him.

Bella turned away and made her way over to the dresser, all the while her shoulders shaking with silent laughter. It would not do to encourage him. Besides, she knew if she continued to let him touch her, she would dissolve into a useless pile of mush. She was powerless where he was concerned and he knew it.

"You need to behave yourself. How would it look if your Mom came and found us?" The memory of the time when she and Edward were discovered in the bathtub came to her mind. Her face grew warm with embarrassment.

Edward groaned and flopped backwards on the bed. "You're killing me, you know," he grumbled, flipping onto his side, his fist propped against his head for support.

Bella shook her head and smirked. "Stop being so melodramatic," she said, rummaging through the ornately carved wooden jewelry box she purchased recently from an antique store near to Alice's café. It was beautiful with a design of flowers and tiny butterflies engraved into the lid and around the sides in a raised pattern. From the moment she laid eyes on it, she fell in love with it and even purchased a similar one for Esme as her Christmas gift. Opening one of the many hidden compartments in the box, she found what she sought and began to hook the chain around her neck.

She fumbled momentarily with the delicate clasp and was about to give up when she heard the bed creak and felt Edward's hands on hers. He chuckled and plucking the chain from her fingers, secured the two halves of the necklace. As he settled the delicate silver chain into place around her throat, his fingers brushed against her skin and a shudder went through her. Their eyes met in the mirror – hers wide and doe-like, his smouldering with the beginnings of desire. He gripped her upper arms, leaned down and kissed her jaw, all the while never breaking eye contact with her in the mirror. He was still kissing his way along her jaw when he froze. His eyes were no longer on hers, but on her necklace. He frowned.

"Where did you get that?" he asked, his voice tense.

Bella's hand immediately went to the necklace around her neck. Her fingers brushed across the surface of the heart-shaped locket.

"I found it in a box in the darkroom," Bella said, her eyes still on Edward's reflection.

"A box," he repeated, narrowing his eyes slightly. He turned her around and fingered the locket. He then turned it over in his hand and examined it. "Alice told me you lost it. When did it show up?"

Bella nodded. "The day before yesterday. One of the boxes fell off the shelf and there it was, beside my laptop." She answered, her eyes on his hand. He continued to caress the locket's surface. "I guess it was packed away and we didn't remember,"

Edward chewed the inside of his cheek. He had his doubts about that theory. He remembered every item he packed that night in Vancouver and the locket was not one of them. A few months ago, Alice mentioned that Bella's necklace was missing. Before he and Bella separated, she wore it every day. But after the separation, he was unsure if that was still the case.

When Alice first reported it missing, he placed a call to Dr. V in Vancouver. She told him that the necklace was not listed among Bella's personal effects, the night she was brought in to the hospital. Edward concluded that she either stopped wearing it or her attacker took it.

"Edward," Bella said, clasping his hand in hers over the locket. "Is something wrong?"

Edward released the locket and tried to get a grip on his suspicions. Maybe Bella had stopped wearing the necklace and packed it away where it wouldn't serve as a reminder of her past life. Then again, his intuition was telling him something else, but now was not the time. There would be time for him to ponder on it, later.

"No, nothing's wrong," he lied. Needing something to take his attention away from the guilt of his lie, he gestured to the locket. "H-have you opened it?" Edward doubted that she had, since the key was missing and she was still speaking to him. He knew what she would find inside if she opened the locket. A piece of their past that he would rather not revisit at this point in time.

Bella knew something was amiss, but she couldn't put her finger on it. She searched Edward's face for any indication that he was being less than truthful, but found none. She shook her head.

"It won't open," she said, placing the locket in her palm. She gazed at the design engraved into the metal. "There's a slot on the bottom for a key, but I don't have it and it won't open." She grinned. "I tried. It won't budge."

"Yes, that's the way I had it designed," Edward whispered. His voice wavered as Bella's eyes widened in surprise. "It won't open without the key."

"Y-you gave this to me?" Bella stammered.

He nodded and tapped her right temple gently. "Yes, a few months before you left,"

The words caught in his throat and he had to force them up and outwards. What he didn't say was that he had given the necklace to her a few weeks after Hayley's death. It was one of his poor attempts to lessen the pain. This was the perfect time to tell Bella about the accident and Hayley, but being the coward he was, he couldn't force his tongue to form the words. The guilt he always felt rose and threatened to choke him.

"I can't remember," Bella lamented, her voice stricken. Her eyebrows furrowed in her attempt to remember and then her eyes swam with tears. Edward sighed and drew her against his chest. Her arms went around his waist. "I hate this. I could live with not remembering everything if I could just remember the important things." She sniffed and snuggled closer to him. "Not remembering _us_ is the hardest part."

Edward brushed his lips across Bella's forehead. There was no way he could tell her about Hayley, now. It would ruin the day for everyone and his mother specifically wanted the day to be a day of celebration, not grief.

"Hey," he intoned, trailing his fingers across her back. "It's okay. We'll be okay, regardless of whether you get your memory back or not."

Bella inhaled a shaky breath. "Yeah," she smiled up at him uncertainly. "We'll make new memories, right?"

"Yes," he swallowed past the rising lump in his throat and kissed her softly. "We'll make new ones, starting today."

Bella pulled back and quirked an eyebrow at him. "Am I missing something?"

A small smile touched Edward's lips. "Nope, not a thing,"

Edward was giving her his infamous poker face. Something was up and she had a sneaking suspicion that it had something to do with the gift she specifically told him not to buy since he replaced her phone.

Bella narrowed her eyes at Edward and poked him in the chest. "Edward Anthony Cullen! So help me, if you've…"

He held up his hands in surrender, amused by Bella's outburst. She was so going to hurt him when everyone left.

"What? It was just a harmless statement," he placated. "Don't over-react, okay?" And before Bella could object, he entwined their fingers and pulled her towards the door. "Now, let's get a move on before Mom comes looking for us." He shuddered dramatically, but Bella was not so easily side-tracked.

"You're going to have to tell me eventually," she grumbled. Edward's booming laughter was her only reply.

Emmett whooped in delight and punched a fist into the air. He yanked the signature black box from between the shredded layers of wrapping paper and stared at the touch pad in awe. He wrapped his arm around Rosalie's shoulders and gave her a lingering kiss.

"Thank you, thank you," he said, his voice excited as he continued to kiss her.

Bella grinned when the others groaned and made gagging noises as Emmett arduously displayed his appreciation to Rosalie, who was pushing ineffectively against the wall of his chest. Jasper covered his eyes and shook his head.

"Is there a therapist in the house?" he choked, peeping through the spaces between his fingers.

"Get a room!" Edward howled, his hands cupped around his mouth to magnify his voice.

Despite the good-natured ribbing, everyone was happy to view the unabashed affection between the couple. When Rosalie finally managed to push Emmett away, she rolled her eyes and ducked her red face into his chest. There were a few snickers, but everyone soon settled down.

There were only two presents left under the tree – Edward's gift to Bella and hers to him. They both opted to go last as technically they were the hosts. In truth, Bella was extremely nervous about what she got for Edward. It seemed to pale in comparison to the other gifts that were exchanged, but when she first saw it in the attic when she and Esme were sorting through the holiday decorations, she knew it was perfect. Esme willingly handed it over and she went about restoring it before she packaged it properly. Now the time came to find out if her gift would be well received.

Being closest to the tree, Bella leaned over the chair-arm and snagged the square, medium-sized box with one hand. The box trembled as she handed it to Edward. He eagerly took it from her, caught her chin gently in his hand and pressed his lips to hers. Immediately the usual heat flared up inside Bella and she felt the now familiar tug in her lower stomach.

"Thank you," Edward whispered, drawing back and staring into her eyes.

Bella drew in a steadying breath and laughed. "You haven't even opened it yet,"

"I don't care if it's a stick of gum. If it comes from you, I'll appreciate it," he promised, rubbing his nose against hers.

Emmett let out an exaggerated "Awww," and fluttered his eyelashes playfully, causing everyone to burst into gales of laughter. Edward rolled his eyes and lobbed a piece of discarded wrapping paper in Emmett's direction.

Returning his attention to the matter at hand, Edward carefully began to unwrap his gift. When he got to the flat, white box hidden beneath the colourful layers of wrapping paper, he glanced at Bella. She was watching him, apprehension in her eyes, her teeth worrying the corner of her bottom lip.

Slipping his finger between the flap of the box, he popped it open and extracted what lay inside. It was a pewter picture frame. Alone it was beautiful, but the picture nestled between the thin sheets of glass was even more so. Edward did a double take and then roared with laughter.

Emmett shot up from his seat, jostling Rosalie to a side as he passed her. Her fist shot out and thumped him on the arm, but he didn't seem to notice, because he was so intent to grab the picture frame from Edward's hand.

The picture was one of Edward and Bella from their college days, taken at a Halloween party. Bella was dressed as Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz and Edward was her Tin Man – literally. Bella's costume comprised of a white short-sleeved, high necked blouse, a blue apron styled dress, a red wig pulled into two pigtails and an exaggerated dusting of freckles across her cheeks and nose. With the exception of his face, Edward was covered from head to toe in a metallic jumpsuit with a funnel for a hat and a heart-shaped clock stuck to his chest. Bella held a giant papier-mâché magnet in one hand. Edward was stuck to her side, his lips pressed onto her cheek as if the power of the magnet held him fast. The expression on his face could only be described as painful.

Edward pulled Bella to him and hugged her. He kissed her soundly on the mouth and then grabbed his gift from Emmett's hand.

"Where did you find this?" he asked, still staring down at the picture. "This was our first date. I agreed to dress in that ridiculous get-up because it was the only way you would agree to go out with me." He gave her an exasperated look. "I begged you for three months to go out with me and when you did, this was your condition."

Bella giggled and poked him in the shoulder. "Yes, if you truly wanted me, you had to don the costume,"

Everyone was silent as Bella's memory filled in the gaps of that particular event. A look of elation came onto her face. She clapped her hand over her mouth and her eyes filled with tears of joy when she realised the significance of what she said.

"I remember," she whispered, giving a shaky laugh. "I remember you giving me a hard time getting you into the auditorium." She threw Edward a droll look. "I also remember you begging me to show you my matching underwear and shoe ensemble." Edward's ears turned red, but he grinned happily. Bella slipped her hand into his and brushed her lips across his knuckles. "But most of all, I remember that's when you first kissed me."

Edward chuckled, reached up and caressed her cheek. His hand moved to the back of her neck and he drew her to him. He placed a soft kiss on her lips, and after a few seconds pulled away and rested his forehead against hers.

"I couldn't help it, you were just so cute in those pigtails and that sparkly underwear. It was all over for me from then," he laughed.

Bella snorted and poked him in the ribs. He laughed and pulled away. From the corner of his eye, Edward caught his mother watching them with tears of joy in her eyes. Carlisle was by her side, gently rubbing her arm as if to help calm the overwhelming emotions she was feeling. He grinned at Edward and gave a nod of approval.

The tension between father and son the day Edward left for Denver, dissipated in light of current events. The elder Cullen still felt that Edward needed to be completely honest with Bella and deal with the emotional baggage he carried, but he agreed to let Edward handle the situation as he saw fit.

Edward reached under the tree and grasped the last gift wrapped box. He placed it into Bella's hands and sat back.

"My turn," he declared. "But, just note that your present is sort of a two-fold thing." Excitement danced in the depths of his beautiful green eyes.

"Two-fold?" Bella asked, twirling a strand from the brightly coloured ribbon around her index finger. "What does that mean?"

Edward's excitement was contagious, and Bella had to push down the urge to bounce in her seat.

"You'll see," Edward promised enigmatically. "Now, open it."

Bella slipped off the ribbon and went to work stripping the remaining wrapping off the slender, oblong shaped box. The name of an exclusive jewelry store was engraved into the cover of the white box in gold writing. Bella glanced at Edward, who was watching her with anticipation.

With trembling fingers, Bella opened the box. She gasped. Nestled on a bed of black velvet was one of the most beautiful charm bracelets she had ever seen. She ran a finger over the cool metal of the bracelet, relishing the feel of the different texture, colours and shapes of the silver, gemstone and Murano Glass charms. Tears once again moisten her eyes.

"Do you like it?" Edward asked, uncertainty in his voice.

Bella shook her head and threw her arms around his neck. She delivered a number of kisses to his face, finally ending at his lips. When Emmett and Jasper made catcalls, Esme hurriedly shushed them.

"Wow!" Edward breathed when Bella finally broke the contact of their lips. He licked his lips and drew in a steadying breath. "I gather you like it."

Bella giggled. "Love it," She extracted the bracelet from the box and handed it to him. "Please?"

As Edward took the bracelet from Bella's outstretched hand, the charms on the bracelet jingled merrily. He secured it around her wrist and then stood. Bella looked surprised, especially when Alice got off of Jasper's lap and came to stand behind her, a scarf clutched in her hand. Alice was practically vibrating with excitement.

"What's going on?" she asked, when Alice attempted to place the scarf around her eyes. She brushed her friend's insistent hands away as the silk material brushed against her nose. "Hey, stop that. What are you doing?"

Alice rolled her eyes. "Preparing you for your second present,"

Bella raised an eyebrow. "And I need to be blind-folded?" Bella looked around at everyone and frowned when they all nodded in agreement.

"Don't you trust us?" Alice asked, amusement in her voice. "Come on, it'll take all of five minutes."

Bella sighed and threw her hands into the air in defeat. It was better to go along with this lest Alice tackle her. She was also excited to see what else Edward had gotten her. Alice let out a squeal of delight and tied the makeshift blind-fold behind Bella's head, covering her eyes. Bella sat there for a few minutes, her curiosity building. She was just about to ask what the holdup was when she felt a body sit beside her on the couch.

"Ready?" Edward asked, his voice sounding slightly breathless.

Bella nodded and jumped when something warm and furry was placed in her arms. The small bundle wiggled and next thing she knew, she felt something warm and rough lick her chin. She gave a small shriek and then a laugh when the warm, wet thing swept across her cheek. Reaching up with one hand, she pulled the blindfold down and stared into a pair of soft, warm chocolate brown eyes; eyes that matched the puppy's fur.

"Oh my," she breathed, her mouth falling open. She turned to look at Edward who was waiting for her reaction to the gift. His eyes were suspiciously bright and he looked worried.

"I-I know he can never replace Charlie, but I think you'll love him all the same," Edward said, his voice breaking at the mention of the pet he had given to Bella years ago. The pet that died trying to save its mistress from harm the night she was attacked. "He's had all his shots and everything, and Alice practically cleaned out the pet store…" He trailed off.

The puppy tilted its head to a side and opened his mouth in a wide, toothy grin. His pink tongue lolled comically. The expression on his face seemed to say, _Who are you?_ Bella giggled and buried her face into the puppy's neck. He gave a small bark and licked her ear.

"I love him," Bella said, dodging the puppy's persistent tongue as he tried to kiss her nose. "How did you manage to hide him?"

"He's been over at our place for the last couple of days," Carlisle said, glaring at the bundle in Bella's arms. The puppy whined and shoved his head into Bella's stomach as if trying to avoid Carlisle's stare. "That little pest destroyed my favourite slippers."

Esme snorted. "Thank God," she said, relieved. "I've been trying to find a way to get rid of those ratty things for the past year. You make sure to give him an extra helping of dinner, Bella."

Everyone laughed, with the exception of Carlisle who was now pouting, his eyes still narrowed. The puppy took another look at Carlisle and quickly pressed closer to Bella. Gone was his 'smile' and he looked scared.

"You're scaring him," Bella crooned, kissing the top of his head. The puppy gave the equivalent of a sigh and settled into the protective cocoon of his new owner's arms. She turned to Edward. "What's his name and what type is he?"

Edward brushed his knuckles against Bella's cheek. 'Well, he's a chocolate Labrador retriever, and as for his name, that's completely up to you." His fingers moved to the back of her neck where he untied the blindfold. He rested the colourful piece of silk over the back of the chair. "Alice named him Rasputin, but he doesn't seem to like that."

Bella gently gripped the puppy under the arms and lifted him so that she could look directly into his face. His smile returned and he attempted to lick her face, but she ducked and barely avoided being slobbered on.

"I should think not," Bella said, grimacing. "Did mean, old Alice name you after a Russian religious, nut- job?"

"Hey…" Alice spluttered indignantly from her spot on Jasper's lap.

Bella ignored her and continued to stare into the soulful, brown eyes. She was silent for a few seconds and then a smile lit up her face.

"How about, Chester?" she announced. The puppy stared at her as if in deep thought. He then smiled and gave a small bark as if to show his agreement. Everyone roared with laughter. "Chester, it is then." She looked at Edward who was smiling and shaking his head and then back to her new pet. "Welcome to the family Chester."

* * *

From his slouched position in the driver's seat of the rental vehicle with the dark tinted windows, he watched as Edward, Bella and their new mongrel crossed the street and entered the park. He waited until they disappeared from sight before he got out. There was no hurry; he knew where they were headed. They followed the same ridiculous routine for the past two weeks. It was disgusting, really.

As he took to his usual position behind the hedge closer to the children's play area and out of the prying eyes of anyone passing by, he took out the small, powerful pair of binoculars from his pocket and got his prey in sight. Bella was sitting on one of the swings, the toe of her sneaker trailing lazily in the sand beneath the swing. As usual, his body reacted with fervor as he thought about how she would belong to him within a matter of weeks. The cabin he rented under the pseudonym of Jason Lambert would soon be ready and he was becoming increasingly impatient. The act of masturbation was quickly losing its appeal, especially when only one stimulant seemed to get him off.

His gaze turned to Edward who was standing on the pathway; leash in hand, his back to Bella, watching the progress of the mutt as it chased an imaginary object across the hard-packed earth of the field. In his mind, he could see himself sneaking up behind Bella and dragging her into the thicket of bushes directly behind her. What a shock Edward would get when he turned to not find her there. The urge was almost too great, and he had to stamp it down before he did something stupid.

He fixed the glass magnifying lenses on Bella's throat and caught a glimpse of the locket between the layers of her shirt. He reached into his pocket and extracted the small key. He smiled. When he snuck in and planted the necklace where she could find it without arousing too much suspicion, he took the key with him. He wanted to be there when she opened the locket and saw its contents. He wanted to be the lone witness to her pain as that useless, idle brain of hers woke up and she remembered how much of a bastard Edward Cullen really was, and how the loss of their child was due to his arrogance. He wanted to watch as Edward's perfectly little constructed lie came crashing down. But most of all, he wanted to see if Bella would remember him from that night long ago on that deserted stretch of road. The night she was supposed to die.

He sighed wearily. He was on this particular case for way too long. When Jacob Black first approached him, he was baffled by what exactly the man required of him. It really wasn't his type of case. He was the one people came to when they wanted someone dead, now or in the foreseeable future. Not months or years down the line. At first he declined the offer, but the man kept on him like a leech, raising the price until he had no choice but to accept. The amount Jacob Black offered was obscene, and it was easy money, so he agreed.

However, certain unfortunate variables occurred that he did not account for. The first time he laid eyes on Bella, it was as if he had been hit by a wrecking ball. He had been blown away. To this day, he remembered that she was having lunch with her husband and the red, knee-length sundress she wore showed off the perfect skin of her arms, cleavage and legs, and hinted at the glorious body beneath. Her long, dark hair was loose and seemed to have a life of its own. His fingers itched to embed themselves into the depths of the silken mass. As he watched Bella laugh and feed Edward a forkful of her meal, he remembered thinking that Edward Cullen was one lucky bastard to bag a woman like that. Then, Jacob informed him that she was his mark and he immediately lost interest – or so he thought. He thought he had dealt with his attraction to Bella Swan then, but a review of his actions over the years proved otherwise. Especially that night in Vancouver when he put a bullet into her chest. He missed! He never missed. That alone should have told him something. Subconsciously, he let her live or at least, gave her a fighting chance.

Movement in the periphery of his vision startled him and made him focus on the present. Edward was no longer on the path, but he now stood in front Bella, with the mutt beside him, its leash now attached. He leaned down, Bella tilted her face up and their lips met. Anger exploded inside him like a white, hot wave and he bit his lip until he tasted blood. As their kiss deepened, his stomach revolted and he threw up.

When his quiet retching subsided, he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and clutched the branches of the hedge, weakly. His stomach was still churning, but there was nothing left to expel. He had that the same reaction a few days ago while he was busy satisfying his need for Bella in the privacy of his bathroom. For some reason, in his fantasy, he wasn't the person inside Bella, Edward was, and that was all it took. By the time he finished vomiting, he felt as if someone had shoved a rake up his ass and tried to scrap his insides raw. It was so bad that blood laced the sputum he spat out. The fury of his reaction shocked and horrified him. It meant that he was quickly losing whatever little control he thought he had left. _Even my fucking body is revolting against me._ He had to act soon or all would be lost.

The couple across the other side of the park were no longer locked at the lips and the cramping feeling inside his intestines subsided somewhat. Edward held out his hand to Bella and she laced her fingers with his and stood. Edward wrapped his arm around her shoulder, kissed her temple and they left the park.

It was a while before he gathered enough strength to walk the short distance back to his car, but when he finally made it, he collapsed into the front seat, slammed the door shut and engaged the lock. His breath came in short, painful spurts as his mind replayed the kiss. He began to dry heave as the memory shook him to his core. He slammed his fist into the steering wheel and winced as a pain arced across his knuckles and up his arm.

"_Shit!_" he spat, angrily. "This is getting out of control. I need to focus." He leaned into the seat, his eyes spinning wildly.

From the corner of his eye, he caught sight of a woman dressed in a close fitting track suit, ear-buds stuck into her ears. She jogged into the park and headed in the direction of the semi-frozen, man-made lake. With each stride she took, her brown ponytail bobbed and seemed to call to him.

He gritted his teeth against the temptation, but before he knew it, he was following the path the woman took, and soon he had her in his sights. She had one sneaker-clad foot propped up on one of the benches of the picnic table and was doing a series of stretches. He watched as her lithe body bent at the waist and straightened, all the time, that ponytail made up of hair so familiar in colour, seemed to beckon him. A vision of Bella appeared in his mind and superimposed over the woman's features. Immediately, he became rock hard and that was enough to galvanise him into action. He picked up the first available object that he could use as a weapon – a metal pipe from the broken railing behind him.

She never saw it coming. One blow was all it took as the fragile brain inside her skull bounced around like a child's bobble toy. She collapsed. Blood trickled from her nose and the site of impact as he swung her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. He walked quickly down a path and then dodged between a cluster of spruces, the branches smacking him in the face as he went by. Following an unmarked path, he came upon the abandoned office park officials used as a First-Aid station during the summer months. Due to the current weather, very few people came that way and even if they did, he would see them before they got to him. He had all the time in the world and he intended to make use of it.

He placed the woman's limp body on the dusty ground and stared down at her. She was pretty, with delicately arched eyebrows and a nice mouth. His gaze traveled south. The waist band of her pants had slid down to reveal a decoration of black and green ink in the design of a four leaf clover, on her left hip bone. He traced the design of the tattoo with quivering fingers and was about to tug the zipper of her jacket down, when she coughed and began to moan. Her right hand automatically went to the area where he placed the blow that incapacitated her. When her fingers came in contact with the wet area, her eyes snapped open. Her eyes then flew desperately around the room before they finally settled on him. Her eyes widened and she opened her mouth to scream. But that was as far as she got. His fist smashed into her mouth. The force of the blow loosened a few of her teeth and her head snapped backwards. She struggled weakly, sobs coming from her broken mouth, but another blow to the opposite side of her head stilled her efforts and her cries. Blood streamed from her mouth and nose, down her cheek and pooled underneath her head. However, instead of being disgusted, it was like a shot of adrenaline to his system. His body went into over-drive.

It was a while later when he straightened and nudged the now dead woman with the toe of his shoe. He sighed. The front of his shirt and hands were covered in blood, along with the floor. He went to one of the dirty windows and stared outside. Darkness would soon cover the park in its shroud and provide him with the cover he needed. He just had to wait a while longer after that and he could leave, taking the body and all other evidence with him.

He glanced at the woman again and grinned. He stretched, feeling better than he had in weeks. The ever present tension which had been building, had been knocked down quite a few notches. Of course, it was still there, but was no longer an itch under his skin that he could not scratch. It was more manageable and he felt in control once more. Now, all he needed was the real thing. All he needed was Bella and everything would be perfect.


	33. Here Comes Goodbye

**So, here is the next installment of **_A Second Chance at Love_**. My apologies once again (you're probably sick of them by now), but I have had some recent upheavals in my life and my attention has been diverted. **

**This chapter is dedicated to **_Totteacher_**. An amazing person and an even more amazing reviewer – this one is especially for you.**

**I want to thank my forever cheering squad of **_dreampills_**, **_magan bagan_**, **_Sparrow's Lassie_** & **_fvprosey_**, whose support knows no bounds and who leave rocking reviews. **

**My heartfelt thanks also go out to **_BellaAshes _**(welcome and thanks for the excellent reviews)**_, Savvyfalls, Nessa19, GAjujubee, Ali702 _**(thanks for the super reviews. There is always time to go back and do the others – HINT, HINT...LOL!)**_, Sunflower2009 and wonderwallthefirst. _

**This chapter was inspired by the **_Rascal Flatt's_** song **_'Here Comes Goodbye'_**, and therefore I have a request. Please go to my profile and listen to this song before you read the chapter.**

**I hope you enjoy.**

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**Chapter 32 – Here Comes Goodbye**

Bella closed the door from the dressing room and made her way across the floor of the rehabilitation room. She dropped her backpack onto one of the wooden benches and turned to Jasper. He was sitting behind his desk, writing something on a chart, dressed in jeans and a black Snow Patrol embossed t-shirt. His usual blue hospital scrubs were draped over the back of his chair.

The muted thump of her bag on the bench made Jasper look up. He waved her over, hooked a nearby chair with the toe of his sneaker and pulled it closer to the desk. Bella sat and used the brief respite to flex her fingers, made sore and stiff from the bar work she did during their hour-long session. As her flexibility increased, so did the length of her sessions, but she was extremely pleased with her progress, and so was Jasper. He predicted that within a few weeks, she could decrease her dependence on the cane and if things went as scheduled, by the beginning of April, she could abandon it altogether. She would still have a limp, but she would no longer require the assistance of a cane. She couldn't wait for that time to come.

Jasper wrote one last entry in the file, closed it, and then turned his attention to her fingers.

"You okay?" he asked, taking one of her hands in his. He pressed his palm against hers and pushed slightly. Her fingers bent slightly backwards towards her wrist causing her to hiss.

"Ouch, Jazz!" she cringed, trying to yank her hand from his. He tightened his grip, refusing to let go. "That hurts."

Jasper smiled apologetically. "Sorry, but it's the only way to alleviate the pain. Just grin and bear it for a bit."

By the time Jasper finished with both her hands, a light sheen of perspiration coated her brow. He handed her a tissue and when she finished dabbing at her forehead, he took a bottle from his drawer and gestured for her to hold her hands out, palm side up. When she did, he squeezed a dollop of lotion into her palms. He massaged her hands and then gently went about tugging on each of her fingers.

Bella stared down at the top of Jasper's head as he fixed his gaze on her hands. He seemed lost in thought. Actually, through most of the session today, she felt that he wasn't quite there. She wondered if something happened between him and Alice. Maybe they had an argument during the day.

"Jazz," she said tentatively. His hands froze. "Is something wrong?"

Jasper sighed and gently placed Bella's hands on her lap. He leaned back in his chair and stared up at the ceiling. His chest rose and fell sharply with each breath he took as if he was waging some sort of internal battle. Waves of anxiety rolled off him. After what seemed like an eternity, he straightened and looked her in the eye. His shoulders slumped forward.

"Yeah," he said, glumly then fell silent again.

"Does it have something to do with Alice?" she prompted, feeling slightly impatient. "Did you two get into a fight?"

Jasper shook his head and swallowed slowly. "No, but I did something that might piss her off,"

Bella straightened and narrowed her eyes at the man sitting in front of her. "Now see here, Jasper Whitlock," she began, pointing her finger at his chest. "If you do _anything_ to hurt Alice, I'm going to personally castrate you with a rusty knife."

Jasper's blue eyes widened fearfully and instinctively, he placed his hands in front his groin, in defense. He went pale and then looked slightly confused. After a bit, understanding came into his eyes. He held up his hands in surrender.

"Whoa, there," he said, his eyes huge. "It's not what you think, honestly."

Bella crossed her arms across her chest and stared at him in disbelief. "Really, now?"

He nodded quickly. "Really, I would _never_ cheat on Alice," he proclaimed, vehemently. "I love her way too much for that. It's something else and I want your opinion."

Bella relaxed, her curiosity piqued. "What about?"

Jasper inhaled deeply and pulled open the top drawer of his desk. He rummaged around inside, but Bella got the impression he was stalling. Finally, he extracted a small, red velvet box and placed it on the desk between them. He watched with apprehensive eyes as Bella took the box and opened the lid. Inside laid a single oval-shaped topaz diamond set in a band of gold. Two smaller white diamonds formed clusters on the right and left sides of the main diamond. Bella gasped at the simple beauty of the antique ring and at the realisation of what Jasper intended to do.

"Oh, Jazz," Bella whispered, tears in her eyes. "It's beautiful. Alice will love this."

Jasper brightened. "You really think so? It belonged to my mother," he explained, leaning over to look at the ring. "It was a bit big so I had to have it resized." He took it from her hand and as he stared at it, his face became sad. "M-my mom gave this to me before she died. She said to give it to that one special person." He looked up at Bella and smiled confidently. "I know we haven't been together long, but I knew Alice was the one for me from the moment I met her. So, why wait?"

Bella nodded. Why wait indeed? It was obvious to all that Alice and Jasper were crazy about each other. They completed each other, like matching pieces of a set. She had no doubts that Alice would accept Jasper's proposal of marriage. It explained why Jasper was so distracted this morning.

"When do you intend to pop the question?" she asked, forcing her voice to remain even. She was happy for Jasper and Alice, but sad for herself. Other than the discovery that she and Edward used to be married, they never discussed the possibility of taking that step again. She wondered if they ever would.

"I was thinking of Valentine's Day, but I don't think I can wait another two and a half weeks," he groaned, running his fingers through his sandy locks. "The original plan was at Christmas, but after the incident with Alice's father, I wasn't so sure how she would feel about the whole marriage thing, given that it didn't work out so well between her parents."

Against her better judgment, Alice tried to reach out to her father by inviting him to the family dinner on Christmas Day. He refused, giving the excuse that he hated to fly during the holiday season. Alice put on a brave face, but it was obvious that she was deeply hurt. It seemed that every time she extended a hand towards her father, he slapped it away. Jasper was furious and assured Alice that that was the last time he would hurt her like that. If he didn't want to be a part of her life, then it was his loss. Bella agreed whole-heartedly.

Bella reached over and patted Jasper's hand. "Take my advice, don't delay," she swallowed past the lump in her throat. "Life is too short. Take it from someone who knows."

Jasper stared into Bella's eyes and nodded. He knew she was thinking about the two attempts on her life during the last year. There were times when he wondered how she even dared to get out of bed each day. Not only did she have to handle the emotional and physical scars from her experience, but she also had to deal with her lost memories and her new relationship with people she had no memory of; like Edward. How she fared so far was proof that Bella was an incredibly strong woman.

Jasper knew how difficult it was moving to a place where you knew little or no one. It was the same position he was in when he first arrived in Seattle. After his mother died of cancer and his father remarried, he found that there was nothing left for him in Texas. He was single, had no children, and only his job at the Bensonhearst Rehabilitation Hospital in Austin, and his music, was his life.

He led a banal exsistence in the months before deciding to leave Texas. He went to work, came home, played music with a few friends and that was it. Then his chance came. While attending a seminar, he met Carlisle Cullen and had the opportunity to expound on his ideas of non-invasive rehabilitation techniques, with him. Carlisle was impressed and made a recommendation to the hospital's board that they offer him a position in Seattle.

Jasper waited for four months before the call come through. When it did, he said a bittersweet _good-bye_ to Texas and _hello_ to his new home, Seattle. Carlisle was nice enough to take him under his wing and approximately two months after his arrival, he got his first big case – Edward.

He remembered the evening they brought Edward in, a gunshot wound to his chest and one to his thigh. He was accustomed to Carlisle being the consummate professional, but when his son was brought in, that quickly went through the door. Carlise was frantic, but soon, his attention was required elsewhere – to his daughter-in-law who was eight months pregnant.

The ER was absolute chaos that night as Carlisle worked to save Bella and her baby, but in the end, he only managed to save one. Shortly after that, the call came from upstairs that Edward was not faring well. He flatlined twice while on the operating table, but eventually, he pulled through. Jasper also remembered the palpable hush that filled the halls of the hospital when Bella recovered enough to realise that her daughter was gone. Her screams of denial were more than most of the staff could bear, including him.

To this day, Jasper still marveled at Edward's physical recovery. The gunshot to the leg passed clean through, but the one to his chest caused extensive damage to the nerves in his shoulder. It had taken months of therapy, but in the end, Edward made a full recovery. It was a miracle.

Just like Bella. When he first met her, he doubted that he could restore her to full mobility, but now he was sure she would be another of his miracles. He frowned. He was able to fix her physical injuries, but that was all he could do for her. From what Alice told him, none of this was over…not by a long shot. There were still things that Bella needed to remember – painful things.

"Shoot!" Bella muttered, looking at her watch. She stood and gave him an apologetic smile. "I've got to visit the children's ward. We've got an exhibition coming up and I promised the kids I would come and take a look at their pieces." She grabbed her backpack and hooked it over one shoulder. "Same time next week?"

Jasper cleared his throat and nodded. "Yeah!" He closed the box with the ring and shoved it into the pocket of his jeans. "If something comes up I'll let you know. When you get home, take a nice long bath." He gestured to her leg. "Those muscles are going to be sore in the morning."

Bella gave him a salute. "Yes, Sir," she smiled. "And don't worry about asking Alice, she won't turn you down." She winked at him and disappeared through the door.

* * *

Bella made the trip upstairs to the Paediatric Oncology ward in record time. She managed to shave one minute and thirty seconds off her usual time. She smiled, feeling pleased with herself.

She hummed a tune as she stepped through the automatic doors of the ward, but once she saw Michelle's troubled face, she stopped. The nurse quickly replaced the handset and hurried to meet her. Her eyes were troubled and her usual smile was non-existent. A sense of foreboding quickly came over Bella.

"I've been calling your cell for the last hour," Michelle said, her voice filled with worry. "Where were you?"

"I was with Jasper," she explained. "I usually switch it off during the sessions." Michelle's eyes filled with tears. Bella reached out and took her by the shoulders. "What's wrong?" she demanded. "Is it one of the children?" She had become quite attached to her little students during the past few weeks.

Michelle's bottom lip trembled and she nodded. "It's Peter,"

Bella felt the blood drain from her face and fear tie her stomach into knots. "What about him? Is he okay?"

Michelle shook her head and drew in a deep breath. "He was admitted last night to Intensive Care. He couldn't breathe. There's a buildup of fluid in his lungs," A sob caught in her throat. "It's not good, Bella."

Bella swallowed painfully, her throat suddenly feeling thick and swollen. Her eyes burned and her stomach hurt. Despite Peter's illness, he was so full of life and optimism that sometimes it was hard to remember how sick he really was.

"Can I see him?" she whispered.

Michelle nodded. "Yes, my friend Simone is the nurse on duty now. I'll tell her to expect you."

The short trip to the ICU was hell for Bella. She tried to mentally prepare herself for what was about to come, but she could not. By the time the elevator reached its final destination and the doors slid open, she was visibly shaking. She crossed the hallway and was about to enter the double doors when they were pushed open from the opposite side. Peter's mother and sister, Caroline, stepped out into the hallway. Marie Mackay gasped when she saw Bella and immediately enveloped her in a tight hug. Bella was so surprised that her arms just hung limp at her sides.

"Thank you for coming," Marie whispered, releasing her strangle hold on Bella. She sniffed and gave Bella a tired smile. "He's been asking for you since he woke up. I-I tried to call you, but your phone was off so I left the message with Michelle."

"She told me," Bella's eyes went to the closed door to the ICU. "How is he?"

Marie inhaled. "He's better than when he was admitted last night, but…" she trailed off and bit her lip. Caroline placed a comforting arm around her mother's waist and smiled sadly at Bella.

"Why don't you go in," the teenager suggested. "I'm taking Mom down to the cafeteria to get something to eat."

Bella nodded. Marie gave her one last despondent look before she allowed Caroline to lead her to the elevator.

Simone was waiting for her. She quickly led her down the short hallway and into Peter's room. The sight of him almost made Bella cry. He was a mere shadow of the boy she knew. He was gaunt, his collar bones showed sharply beneath his translucent skin and the bruises on his arms and chest, were now back.

As she moved closer to his bed, Bella took in the machines and other apparatus that were attached to various parts of his body. A heart monitor monitored the regular, steady beats of his heart and the oxygen from the mask on his face gurgled softly.

Peter's eyes were closed and he was so still that had Bella not known otherwise, she would think he was already gone. With each breath he took, the mask on his face grew misty and then cleared. Bella stood transfixed as he struggled to breathe, each one accompanied by a rasping, wheezing sound. This was too painful for her. She froze, trying to decide on whether to remain or leave and come back when she was better equipped emotionally to handle the situation.

She was just about to turn around to leave when his eyes opened and immediately focused on her. His usual, bright sapphire eyes were dull and lifeless. Bella's heart twisted painfully as the true depth of just how ill Peter was, hit home.

Bella fixed a wide smile on her face and moved closer to the bed. Peter's smile was beatific as he reached out his small hand to her. She took it and gently entwined her fingers with his smaller ones.

"Bella," he said, his small voice muffled by the mask. "What took yah so long? Did Jasper give you a hard time today?"

Bell grinned. "Doesn't he always? But he told me I'm getting better." She sat in the chair beside his bed and slid the backpack down her free arm.

"That's cool. Soon you won't need that anymore," Peter's eyes went to the cane leaned against the arm of the chair.

He inhaled sharply as a fit of coughs shook his tiny frame. Bella straightened and was about to call for the nurse when the spasms subsided. Peter drew in a couple of shallow breaths and then settled down. His small chest rose and fell sharply with the effort it took for him to draw air into his lungs, and when he grimaced, Bella knew that he was also in pain. It almost broke her heart. She felt the pinpricks of tears attack her eyes and tried hard not to let the panic and fear she felt, break through the façade of bravery.

"Peter," she said tentatively, placing her hand on his cheek. His skin was cool and dry to the touch. "Do you want me to call the nurse?"

Peter's eyes widened in alarm and he gave a quick shake of his head.

"No, she'll just give me a shot and I'll go to sleep." He smothered another cough behind closed lips. "I don't want to sleep…not yet."

The significance of Peter's last words was not lost on Bella as a chill crept up her spine and stole its way across her chest.

Slowly, Peter rolled onto his side so that he could stare Bella directly in the eye. He glanced briefly at the clock mounted on the wall just above her left shoulder and sighed. He then muttered something that sounded like "No time," but Bella could not be certain and could not ask because Simone appeared in the room to check on them.

"Hey, Peter," the red-headed nurse said, giving him a wide smile. "Do you need anything?"

She checked the flow of the drip attached to his arm and taking her stethoscope from around her neck, placed the eartips into her ears and the flat, circular disc onto his chest.

Bella watched Simone's face for an indication into Peter's condition. What she saw there was not good. Her heart sank. Simone frowned, but quickly smiled when she caught Peter watching her. She replaced the sheet over his upper body and patted him on the shoulder. She then wrote something on his chart and returned it to the slot at the bottom of his bed.

"Dr. Greene will come by soon, so don't fall asleep," While her smile remained intact, it did not reach her eyes. Simone was worried and that scared Bella.

After Bella met Peter, she did some research into his condition. Peter was a high risk case and with that came an array of complications, including pneumonia, which is what she suspected he had. With his immune system in the condition it was, it would be almost impossible for him to fight off the infection ravaging his body. Michelle was right, this was not good.

"In the meantime, I'll bring you some juice," Simone offered, her voice gentle. "Any preference?"

Peter looked thoughtful and then he smiled. "Apple, please. And can I have one of those bendy straws? I like those."

Simone tipped an imaginary top hat. "Aye aye, Captain!"

Peter giggled, but that brought on another bout of coughing. Bella rubbed his chest as it continued to spasm beneath her fingers. By the time he calmed down, the jovial expression on Simone's pretty face had disappeared and her lips were drawn into a tight line.

"I'll be back," she said and headed through the door.

Peter stared after her, his brow furrowed. "She's going to call the doctor," he stated matter-of-factly.

Bella knew he was right, but she did not want to cause him undue stress. "She might just be going to get your juice,"

"Yeah, right!" Peter said, rolling his eyes. Bella smiled. He was still as precocious as ever. "How's Edward?" he asked, reaching up and tugging weakly on the tangled plastic tube leading from his mask to the oxygen reservoir on the wall beside his bed. Bella gently untangled the tube and placed it out of the way so that any movements he made would not endanger his airflow.

Edward and Peter met when she went to Peter's house the day after Christmas to deliver his present – a digital camera. The connection between Edward and Peter was instantaneous, and as she watched them sit on the floor of the living room and try to beat each other at a video game, the ever present hole in her chest closed by a few millimeters. The vision she had of Edward and the little girl with the copper curls came back to her and an ache developed in her lower stomach.

As if feeling her eyes on him, Edward turned and flashed her his infamous crooked smile and she felt her stomach give a little somersault. It was then that she decided that come what may, she would share Edward's life. He was her other half, her soul mate.

"He's good. Working hard as usual," she sighed. Peter smiled.

"Does he have any new cases?" he asked, his eyes lighting up.

During their visit, Edward told Peter about his job and the boy was fascinated. Peter with his usual enthusiasm, asked question after question until his father begged him to stop. But Edward did not mind, and by the time they were ready to leave, Edward had a new fan. It was clear that Peter worshipped the ground Edward walked on.

"I'm not sure," Bella said, rubbing his arm. "We don't really talk about his work."

Since the Jacob Black incident, Edward was rather tight lipped about his work. At first it bothered her, but then she realised it was a defense mechanism for him. The less she knew, the better it would be for her, and the less memories she would have of Jacob Black. Bella didn't have the heart to tell him that it didn't work.

Peter wrinkled his brow and looked deep in thought. Then a shy smile crossed his face. "So," he said, drawing the word out. "When's the wedding?"

Bella choked and then began to laugh. Trust Peter to get to the crux of the matter.

"Do you know something I don't?" she winked. Peter's smile transformed into a grin behind his mask.

"I know he loves you a lot and you love him, so what's stopping you?"

"Look at you," Bella chuckled, poking him gently in the ribs. "A seven year old authority on love. You should have your own show." She tapped her index finger against her chin. "What would we call it?"

"Peter The Great," he piped up and smiled when Bella dissolved into a fit of giggles. "I am great, aren't I, Bella?"

Bella chucked him lightly under the chin. "Yep, one of the greatest,"

Peter's eyes suddenly grew serious. "I want you to promise me something,"

Bella stared into the depths of his blue eyes and nodded solemnly. "Sure,"

"Promise me that after I'm gone you won't be sad," he said earnestly. "Promise me that you'll marry Edward and be happy." His small hand gripped hers with surprising strength.

Bella swallowed convulsively as the grief she felt, magnified until she felt as if she was choking. Instinctively she wanted to tell Peter that he was going to be fine, but it would be insulting. They both knew different and Peter, being the extremely intelligent child he was, would know if she tried to placate him.

"Peter," she began, fighting for the appropriate words to say. "It's not that simple."

"Yes it is!" he protested. The beeping of the heart monitor indicated his rising agitation. "Please, Bella. Promise me."

Bella's eyes flew to the monitor. The small green line was dancing out an accelerated rhythm with each passing second. If she didn't give him the answer he sought, he would become even more upset and in his condition, that was the last thing he needed. She inhaled, gave him a sad smile and nodded her assent.

"I-I promise," she whispered, relieved when the monitor slowly resumed its normal rhythm.

Peter sighed, settled down one again and began to tell her about the new pictures he had taken with the camera she gave to him. The little boy had turned into quite the amateur photographer, and Peter's name was at the head of the list for the exhibit she was setting up in the hospital auditorium for the parents and staff. He had an entire area designated for his work alone. He was really excited about it, but now Bella doubted if he would be there to participate.

Bella shook her head, banishing the thoughts to the very depths of her mind. Peter was strong. He would pull through. She had to have faith.

Simone returned with the promised box of juice and Peter's requested straw. She handed the items over to Bella and turned to Peter.

"Peter, Dr. Greene should be here shortly so you be a good boy and drink up," Simone said gently. She patted Peter on the shoulder, gave Bella a grateful smile and left them alone.

Peter stared eagerly at the juice as Bella extracted the straw from its protective, plastic sleeve and stuck it into the small, circular foil end on the box. He reached up and pulled the mask down. There was a purple bruise around the area where the mask affixed to his skin.

Bella gently inserted the straw between Peter's lips and breathed a sigh of relief when he took a few sips without coughing. He sighed contentedly and attempted to take a couple more hurried swallows. Bella pulled the straw away.

"Hey, not so fast, Buddy," she admonished. "You don't want to make yourself ill, do you?"

He shook his head. Bella offered him the straw again and this time he drank the juice, slowly. When the box was empty, Bella carefully fitted the mask over his nose and mouth and sat back in the chair. She placed the empty box on the floor beside her bag.

Peter's eyes drifted closed, the effort it took to quench his thirst took its toll on him. As he slept, Bella prayed hard that the kind, generous boy she had grown to love would pull through. There was still time for a miracle; still time for God to grant her wish and restore Peter's health back to him.

Horrible, evil people like Jacob Black and the man who attacked her were granted the gift of perfect health and a chance at adulthood, and wasted it. Why couldn't Peter be given that gift when it would add so much value to the world? Bella closed her eyes to hold in the tears that gathered steadily. _It's not fair,_ she thought.

The touch of cool fingers against her cheek startled her. Her eyes flew open. Peter was awake again, and he was watching her sadly. His small fingers traced the trail of moisture on her cheek.

"Bella, don't cry," he pleaded, his small voice quivering. "You promised, remember? You wouldn't be sad."

Bella's heart twisted painfully inside her chest. She drew in a deep breath and pasted a smile on her lips.

"Something in my eye," she said, lamely.

Peter gave her a steady look, almost as if trying to see into her mind. He snorted and rolled his eyes.

"Fibber!" he accused, shaking his head and smiling at the same time.

Bella laughed, but her voice cracked from the emotion welling up inside. She took Peter's hand and rubbed it gently between hers to try to replace the warmth.

They sat like that, enjoying the silence and each other's company until Dr. Greene and Marie came into the room. Marie looked paler than she did when Bella first saw her in the hallway. She knew that Dr. Greene had given her an update on Peter's condition. The woman smiled sadly at her and she had her confirmation. Peter was not expected to make it.

It took all of Bella's emotional and physical strength to force her to stand. She was reluctant to leave him, but it was time for Peter's examination and it wasn't her place to be there. She just hoped that she was wrong about the degree of his illness.

"I've got to go, Peter," Bella said, her voice sounding unnaturally high to her ears. "But I'll be back tomorrow."

Peter glanced at the clock and gave a slight shake of his head. He then removed the mask and smiled at her. There was something in his eyes, something that made Bella pause. He seemed to be trying to communicate silently, but her brain refused to comprehend the meaning.

"Okay," He reached out and grabbed her wrist. "Don't forget your promise." His voice came out as a whisper, like he was trying to keep the secret between them only.

As Bella stood there, staring into the eyes of the little boy who captured her heart all those months ago, realisation that this might be the last time she saw him, hit her hard. A silent sob rose in her throat and before she could stop herself, she leaned down and hugged him. His small arms went around her back and squeezed.

After an immeasurable amount of time passed by, Bella finally gathered the strength to pull away. She placed a kiss on his forehead.

"I love you," she whispered fervently against the smooth skin of his head.

Peter smiled and nodded. "I know. I love you too, Bella."

Bella gestured in the direction of Marie and Dr. Greene who were standing watching the display with solemn eyes. Marie Mackay's eyes were red and her bottom lip trembled.

"Now, you be good for the doctor and watch that smart mouth of yours," she warned, wagging her finger at him.

Peter giggled. "Okay,"

Bella picked up her bag and cane, took one last look at Peter and hurriedly left the room. By the time she reached the hallway, the strength in her legs gave way. She slid down against the wall until she sat on the floor. Pulling her legs up to her chest, she placed her head against her knees and did the one thing she could not do while in Peter's presence, she wept like her heart would break.

* * *

Edward leaned back in his chair and loosened his tie. He opened the file Shannon dropped on his desk earlier in the day and began to peruse its contents. The identity tag and number on the file's side read, _EASTMOND, K/10/01/28_.

The first thing that drew his attention was the photo of the missing woman. She was attractive with long, brown hair and blue eyes. Something about her struck Edward as familiar, but from her information, he knew he had never met her. Her name was Karen Eastmond, she was thirty-four years old, lived in Glen Oaks, Bainbridge, was a wife and mother of two and an Accountant with Riker Richardson Accountants in Seattle.

According to the police report, Mrs. Eastmond was last seen at the Bay Harbour Park by a Park Ranger a week ago. Edward's eyes flew back to the woman's face and he was once again struck by a feeling of familiarity.

"I know you," he muttered, running his fingers through his hair. "But where have I seen you before?" He continued reading the report hoping some detail contained within would jog his memory.

Mrs. Eastmond was reported missing by her husband five hours after she left home to take her daily jog in the park. A thorough search of the area and its surroundings led to the discovery of a blood trail leading to a burned out structure in the woods. However, no human remains were found in the rubble, dismissing the possibility that the woman was inside when the fire was lit. No further trace of her had been found. It was as if she had just vanished off the face of the Earth.

What was more frustrating was the lack of any evidence that could prove useful to their investigation. If Mrs. Eastmond was in fact taken to the structure, the water damage and the constant passage of fire officials at the site made it impossible to gather evidence. Whatever was there was destroyed; which is probably what the individual who had taken her intended. They were definitely not dealing with an amateur.

Edward flipped through the blood work report. The blood found was a match to the victim. Edward sighed. Something sinister had happened to Mrs. Eastmond in that park and it made him uneasy. It was way too close to home. He and Bella took Chester there almost every day, weather permitting.

Suddenly, he sat ram-rod straight. That was it. That's where he knew her from. He quickly went back to the beginning of the file and confirmed the date of her disappearance – January twenty-eighth. His suspicions were correct. He had seen her outside the park that very same day.

He and Bella had just crossed the street when a woman wearing a black track-suit stopped to make a comment about Chester. She seemed smitten by the pup and after giving him a pat on the head, waved good-bye and continued into the park.

Edward sat back and ran his hands down his face. Was it possible that he and Bella were the last persons to interact with Mrs. Eastmond before she was attacked, maybe even killed? Immediately he felt guilty. He wished he had some sort of precognition. If he had, he might have been able to save her.

Edward brushed his fingers against the flat, smooth surface of Karen Eastmond's photograph. She was smiling and happy. She had no idea that when she took this photograph her life would be cut short in a flash of senseless violence.

Her family had to be frantic, her husband worried, her two kids wondering where their mother was, why she didn't come home and if she loved them. He hoped they would eventually find Karen Eastmond alive, but he had his doubts. His instincts told him the woman was dead.

"I'm so sorry," he muttered. "I wish I could have saved you."

"Talking to yourself again?" a voice asked.

Edward glanced up to find James leaning against the door frame, a bemused look on his face. When he reached Edward's desk, he leaned over and took a look at the picture of Mrs. Eastmond. He whistled appreciatively.

"Nice," he commented. "Who is she?"

Edward pushed the file with one finger towards James. The man's reaction irked him. It was clear that Mrs. Eastmond was now a case file, therefore she was either missing, dead or had committed an offense. There were times when James could be a heartless bastard and this was one of those. Ignoring the need to lash out, Edward took a deep breath.

"Meet Karen Eastmond, our newest victim," he said, his voice even. "She disappeared a week ago from a park in Bainbridge."

James looked surprised. He grabbed the file and took it to his desk. He sat back, his foot hooked casually on the corner of his desk.

"In Bainbridge?" he scoffed. "That place has one of the lowest crime rates in the Pacific Northwest."

"I know. I live there, remember?" Edward said, sarcasm colouring his tone.

James raised an eyebrow and frowned. "What's up with you? Wake up on the wrong side of the bed?" He grinned. "Or maybe, Bella stole your side of the bed."

Edward ignored James' jab and rubbed the back of his neck. An ache had developed there from the time he realised where he knew Mrs. Eastmond from. As irrational as it was, the fact that he could have saved her still bothered him.

"Nothing is wrong with me," Edward said. "It's just that I think I know her."

"You _think_ you know her?" James' voice was skeptical. "I don't mean to be crass, but if I met her, I would definitely remember. She's a looker."

"Christ!" Edward barked before he could stop himself. "Have some respect. She could be dead for all we know."

James rolled his eyes. "Yes, but that doesn't take away from the fact." he said irritated. "So?"

Edward gave him a dark look. "So what?"

"How do you know her?" James said the words slowly, as if speaking to a child.

"Bella and I met her the day she disappeared," he explained. "We were walking Chester and…"

James sat forward, both feet now planted firmly on the floor. He put an index finger in the air. "Hold up. Who the hell is Chester?" he asked, abruptly interrupting Edward's explanation.

"Our dog," Edward said simply.

James was silent and then he began to chuckle. "You got a dog? My, my, aren't we domesticated?" His tone was a mixture of sarcasm and amusement. "Soon you'll be telling me that you own an apron and a pair of oven mitts." He guffawed at his own joke. "When was the last time you saw your balls, because I suspect Bella is traipsing around town with them in her hand-bag."

Edward crossed his arms across his chest and glared at James. Anger blurred the periphery of his vision. He clenched his hands into fists. Abruptly, James' laughter drew to a halt.

"Are you quite finished now?" Edward growled.

James raised his hands in the air in surrender. "Sorry, but I couldn't resist."

"Well, fucking try," he warned, his voice flat. "We've been down this road before, remember?"

A shadow passed across James' features at Edward's reference to the last disagreement they had over his relationship with Bella. The derogatory comments James made then almost resulted in an altercation between the two men.

"Fine," James grounded out, his posture stiff. "I'm sorry. It won't happen again."

"Good," Edward said, gesturing to the file on James desk. "Now, like I was saying, Mrs. Eastmond was reported missing by her husband."

"Is he a suspect?"

Edward shook his head. "No, he was in a meeting. Loads of people saw him and can vouch for his whereabouts."

James closed the file, leaned back and interlaced his fingers across his flat stomach. He closed one eye and pursed his lips. Edward had seen him do this before. It usually meant that James was thinking hard and whatever theory he came up with would probably have a negative spin to it.

"You know," James said finally. "She probably ran off."

Edward sighed and shook his head. He knew James would say something like that. It was the eternal pessimist in him that always came out at times like this.

"That's not the case," he said firmly. "She was a wife and mother. She had a good life and people who loved her."

James shrugged. "What's your point? None of that changes the fact that more than likely she met someone, probably said, "fuck it," and left. It happens all the time. Don't try to instill your beliefs on the entire flawed, human race," James smiled, as if to soften the sting of his words. "Not everyone is like you, Edward."

"Meaning?"

James sighed. "Meaning that not everyone believes in familial harmony. Not everyone is willing to tie themselves to a sinking ship and pray to God that they don't drown when the fucking thing goes down."

Edward stared at him grimly. "And you think that's what I'm doing?"

A ghost of a smile crossed James' lips. "You tell me, you're the one with the dog named Chester."

As flames of anger slowly licked their way up Edward's spine, he narrowed his eyes and glared at James. "You are seriously fucked, you know that?"

James grinned. "Yeah, I know,"

A knock on the door drew the conversation to a halt and Andy Chou stepped into the room. He was about to open his mouth to greet Edward when he saw James. He stiffened and fell silent. After the space of a heartbeat, Andy gave James a cursory nod and turning to Edward, promptly ignored him. A brief spark of irritation lit up James eyes at Andy's obvious snub. Edward swallowed his laughter and kept his face blank. _It served James right for what he said earlier_, he thought.

It was a known fact in the office that James and Andy barely tolerated each other, only interacting when absolutely necessary. While it should have made the two men working together difficult, to say the least impossible, they managed to co-exist under an unspoken and equally uneasy truce.

"Hey, E," Andy greeted, his voice lacking its usual enthusiasm. "Can you spare a moment?"

'Sure," Edward said, relieved to have a legitimate reason to end the conversation with James. "We were finished here anyway."

Taking the hint that his part in the conversation was over, James smiled, stood and headed towards the door. He shot Andy a nasty look after he tucked Karen Eastmond's file under his arm.

"You two carry on," he said flippantly. "I've got to go see a man about a dog." He winked at Edward, chuckled and left the room.

"Asshole," Andy muttered under his breath when the door slammed shut.

Edward pretended not to hear. He was still annoyed at James and was in no mood to deal with the hostile dynamics between the two men.

"What's up, Andy?" Edward asked, placing his elbows on top of the desk.

With James' departure, Andy's sour demeanor immediately dissipated and a smile returned to his face.

"Just wanted to give you an update on the voice match,"

With all the confusion of the Black case, the recording Edward had taken from his voice mail of Bella's attack had been set on the back burner. Andy had finally managed to tie up the loose ends of the case and was now free to analyse the audio in an attempt to put a name to the voice of the man who almost killed Bella all those months ago.

Edward straightened. "Good news?" he asked, hopefully.

Andy shook his head. "Nothing. It's like this son of a bitch doesn't even exist," he frowned. "If he has committed a crime before, he's never been caught." His eyes lit up. "But, I'm working another angle, so just give me a bit more time, okay?"

Edward nodded, his shoulders slumped. He hoped Andy would have good news for him by now. It was almost a year since Bella's attack and the longer they took to gather evidence, the less chance they had of ever finding the attacker. As it was, the authorities in Vancouver already classified the case as cold. They weren't going to be in a hurry to reopen it without new evidence, and he could not intercede as the F.B.I had no jurisdiction in Canada. Ultimately, it was left up to him and Andy to find closure on the matter.

"We'll get him eventually," Andy promised.

For the first time in months, Edward felt doubt that they would ever catch the bastard. He was about to voice his doubts to Andy when his cell phone began to ring. It was Bella. Immediately, his spirits lifted. He raised a hand to Andy and then connected the call.

"Hey, are you finished?" he asked, softly. Silence followed by a sob came at him from the other end. He immediately went into alert mode. "Bella, what's wrong?"

"C-can you come and get me, p-please?" she sobbed.

"Bella, what's wrong?" Edward shot out of his chair and grabbed his keys off the desk. "Are you hurt? Where are you?"

There were a few more muffled sobs before she answered. "I-I'm okay, but Peter…" Bella's voice broke when she said the little boy's name. A feeling of dread went through him. "Please, Edward. I need you."

"I'm coming, just hang on."

* * *

Edward gingerly shifted position on the bed so that he would not awaken Bella from her fitful slumber. She was exhausted, but for the past three hours she fought the encroaching darkness of sleep. She finally succumbed, but she was so restless, he feared she would awaken again at any moment.

He glanced down at her face and sighed when he saw the dried tracks of tears on her cheeks. Bella had been crying since he collected her from the hospital. By the time he made it there, she was sitting in the waiting room of the Paediatric Oncology ward, her legs curled beneath her, her eyes glassy with grief. Peter Mackay, the little boy that she had formed such a strong bond with, was extremely ill.

When he arrived at the ward, he was unsure if the boy was alive or had passed on prior to his arrival. Michelle, the head nurse and Bella's friend explained why Bella was so upset. Peter was fading quickly, and only a miracle could delay the inevitable. He chose not to tell Bella of his conversation as he knew this would only upset her further. He knew she was hoping desperately that Peter would recover, and if allowing her to keep a tight rein on her faith would give her a measure of comfort, then he would keep quiet.

Bella moaned softly as she curled further into his side. Her eyelids flickered and her fist tightened on his chest. She whimpered, stiffened and then relaxed. Edward knew she was in the throes of a nightmare. Since Thanksgiving night when Bella muttered Hayley's name in her sleep, she had been plagued by a constant spate of nightmares. However, they seemed to have lessened over the last few weeks; until tonight.

Earlier he wondered if it would be better for Bella to just fall asleep, to give her a brief reprieve from her pain. Or, was it better for her to remain awake, and have her quiet sobs tear him apart? In the end, he need not have worried because she dozed off.

A knot tightened inside Edward's chest when he thought of the little boy who was currently fighting for his life. From the moment he met Peter, he knew he was special. He could see why Bella had fallen hard for the boy. He was everything Bella described and more. In addition to the fact that she adored and loved Peter, it was obvious that she admired him. His death would shatter her.

His chest constricted when his thoughts unwillingly went to Hayley. He glanced down at the necklace nestled between Bella's breasts. Contained in its metal depths, was a picture of Hayley and one of him. Alice explained that it was Bella's way of reminding herself just how much she had lost. The night of the accident resulted in two deaths – the death of their daughter, and the death of their marriage.

Edward drew Bella closer to him and brushed his lips across her forehead. Time was growing short. He needed to come clean regardless of the costs. Recently he had been toying with the idea of making things more permanent between them, but he could not until he was completely honest with her. While he still worried that she would hate him and he would lose her for good, he refused to let the coward in him continue to rule his thinking. It was time. It probably wasn't the best time for honesty, but would there ever be an appropriate time? He knew the answer was no.

The sudden ringing of Bella's cell phone made both of them jump. Bella sat up, brushed her hair from her eyes and grabbed the phone from beside her. Edward sat up and held his breath as she said a groggy "hello."

It took a few seconds, but the stiffening of her body and her sudden intake of breath was all it took to confirm his suspicions. She muttered a quiet "I'm so sorry," and a "Thank you for calling," and then the phone fell from her fingers. Bella sat like that for what seemed like an eternity, and then the tremors began. A low keening sound that quickly transformed into a wail erupted from her throat. Edward drew her shaking body against his chest.

"Baby, is it…?" he trailed off, unable to say the words.

Bella gripped his arms, grief shaking her body so hard he thought she would break apart. She pressed her face into the bare skin of his chest, her fingernails digging painfully into his arms, but he refused to let her go.

"He's gone, Edward," she sobbed. "Peter's gone."

Her wails of despair wrapped themselves around his heart and squeezed. Tears momentarily blurred his vision as a feeling of déjà vu hit him. The one other time he had seen Bella in this much pain was at Hayley's funeral.

* * *

**A/N - **_**Please note that it was extremely difficult for me to end Peter's part in this story. He is a wonderful character. Look out for Chapter 33...coming soon.**_


	34. Please Remember Me

**Author's Notes:**

Dear Readers,

My apologies for the long break between chapters, but RL has been a challenge. However, I won't bore you with the details and I hope this particular chapter makes up for the long break.

Please be advised that you should read this chapter accompanied by a box of tissues. I also have another request, please listen to this song h t t p:/www(.)youtube(.)com/watch?v=mHM02zhuipo before or while you read the chapter. It's Tim McGraw's_**'Please Remember Me'**_

I'll finish this A/N here now, but please see all news, TQs and dedications at the end. Thank You.

* * *

**Chapter 33 - Please Remember Me**

A soft wind blew through the trees, ruffling the newly budding leaves on the still bare tree limbs, and tugged on the garments of the small crowd of people clustered at the graveside. The air was crisp with the promise of spring, and for the first time in a month, the sky was a cloudless shade of pale blue. The sun shone so bright it was almost blinding. It would be the perfect weather for a picnic. But not today; it was the perfect day for a funeral—Peter's funeral.

Bella swallowed a sob and hastily brushed away a tear that crept down her cheek. She glanced briefly at the attendees and knew that her expression mirrored their abject sorrow. Some of the mourners listened to the Reverend's comforting words, stoic concentration on their faces, while others, like Marie and Caroline Mackay, tried hard to muffle their sobs. Peter's father sat beside his wife and daughter, his eyes red, his complexion pale and drawn from the effort it took for him to contain his emotions and be strong for his family.

Beyond the row of relatives lay the medium-sized, dark wooden casket. Its lower half was draped by Peter's favourite_Harry Potter_ comforter. Bella caught a glimpse of a pair of circular-framed glasses and a magic wand lying on top of the comforter. These were his favourite toys. She inhaled shakily as her vision was momentarily blurred by new tears. All through the service Bella managed to keep her eyes away from Peter's casket. But now she was finally forced to acknowledge its existence. Her eyes seemed glued to the object containing Peter's earthly remains. A shiver ran through her, and the arm around her waist tightened.

Bella looked up and met Edward's understanding gaze. She tried to smile, but her lips seemed incapable of performing the small action. All day it was as if her brain was disconnected from the rest of her body. Even the most mundane of tasks seemed impossible to perform. While she dressed for the funeral, her hands shook so badly that in the end, Edward finished buttoning her jacket for her. Now she leaned against him, her body drawing much needed strength from his.

To keep her gaze from returning to the casket, Bella trained her eyes on the Reverend. His carefully prepared sermon was winding down, and as he said the final words of comfort and appreciation, the headache that plagued Bella the past couple of days intensified and stabbed painfully at her temples. She gasped softly and rubbed the side of her head.

"Bella," Edward's voice was a tense whisper. "Are you okay?"

She tried to nod, but the slight action heightened the pain. "Headache," she explained, trying to keep the discomfort from her voice so as not to worry Edward further.

Bella knew the days leading up to the funeral had been hard on him. He seemed to understand her pain and share in it. That was something Bella found strange as Edward only met Peter once. While she knew he had bonded with the little boy, his reaction to his death was beyond her expectation. It was almost as if he was experiencing the loss himself. While he was always there comforting her and providing the support she needed, he seemed to be drawing comfort from her as well.

"The Reverend is finished," he said, gazing at the people gathered around the MacKays to offer their condolences and other words of encouragement. "Do you want to leave now?"

"No," she said softly, her eyes drifting to Peter's mother who was dabbing furiously at her eyes with a crumpled handkerchief. "I need to speak with Marie first, then I'll go."

When they arrived at the church, Marie pulled her aside and requested that she not leave right after the funeral. Puzzled by the request, Bella agreed. She was curious as to the reason Marie wanted her to stay behind, but also apprehensive. What could be so important that Marie would seek her out in her time of grief?

By now, most of the attendees were either making their way to their vehicles or saying their final farewells to Peter's family. As if feeling Bella's eyes on her, Marie looked up and smiled weakly at her. She leaned over, whispered something to Caroline, and the girl nodded. The teenager stood quickly and disappeared into the small chapel where the service had been held. She soon returned with a brown-paper-wrapped package in hand. She gave it to Marie, who then made her way over to where Edward and Bella stood. She immediately enveloped them in a hug.

"Thank you both for coming," she whispered, her voice filled with sorrow. She pulled away and stared at Bella for few seconds before she found the strength to speak. "Bella, I want you to know that Peter loved you very much, and I want to personally thank you for making his last months a pleasure."

Bella smiled. "I loved him too. He was a wonderful child and an inspiration to me." She swallowed a sudden sob. "He won't be forgotten."

Marie nodded. She then pressed the package into Bella's hands. "Please, accept this,"

Bella shook her head, grimacing when her headache gave her a not so gentle reminding nudge. "N-no, Marie. I can't take a gift from you."

"I-it's not from me, it's from Peter," Marie said, her eyes once again filling with tears. "He wanted you to have it. He worked on it during his last few weeks." She sighed. "I think he knew he was leaving us."

Bella fingers flexed around the object covered in the wrapping paper and suddenly felt as if her heart was being squeezed by an unseen force. She glanced at Edward who was staring off in the distance, a look of preoccupation on his face. She followed his gaze but saw nothing out of the ordinary, just headstones, patches of blue bonnets, and trees. She wondered what he was thinking and why she suddenly had the irrational urge to run and hide.

Almost as if she snapped her fingers, Edward emerged from his trance. He blinked and gave Bella a wan smile. She got the impression that he was completely unaware of the last five minutes of conversation between her and Marie.

Marie was staring from Edward to Bella, a pensive look on her face. She sensed something was wrong, but assumed that Peter's gift had upset Bella.

"Bella, I'm sorry." She tried to take the gift from Bella hands, but Bella held fast. "We can leave this for another time."

"No, Marie," Bella said firmly. "It's okay."

Bella carefully took the wrapping off the gift, and when she saw what lay beneath, she gasped and placed her hand over her mouth in shocked amazement. It was a homemade picture frame containing a collage of some of the pictures they had taken during their sessions. In the center was a picture of Peter before he lost his hair. His sandy hair was tousled and his impish grin revealed the gap where his left front tooth should have been. He wore the Harry Potter spectacles that now lay on his casket. Around the frame, the words _Please Remember Me_ were engraved into the wood and coloured in with different coloured inks. It was beautiful. Bella clutched it to her chest and tried to contain her grief as memories of her time spent with Peter went through her mind. By the time she replayed their last conversation at the hospital, she was openly weeping. Edward wrapped his arm around her shoulders and drew her closer to him. She buried her wet face into his shoulder.

"Thank you," she croaked when the ability to speak returned. Marie was also crying, and her husband came over and placed a supportive arm around her shaking shoulders. "This means so much to me."

Marie nodded. "I know." She reached out to clasp Bella's hands between hers and squeezed. "Don't be a stranger. I'll give you a call soon." She smiled sadly. "I want to do what I can to help with the exhibit. I think Peter would have wanted that."

_The exhibit_. With everything that happened over the last few days, it completely slipped Bella's mind that it was due to open in a matter of weeks. There was still so much to do, and she did not want to let the other children down, but she couldn't bear to work on it now. Peter's death left her with a void that nothing could fill. It was as if a part of her died along with him.

"Okay," Bella said, gritting her teeth as another pain attacked her forehead. From the corner of her eye she saw Edward tense and stare at her through narrowed eyes. "Give me a call early next week."

Marie and her husband gave one final wave and walked over to Caroline, their arms around each other. Once they were out of ear-shot, Edward placed his hands on her shoulders and turned her to face him. As the pain increased, she hung her head and took a few slow breaths to calm her rolling stomach.

"How bad is the pain?" he asked, his hands tightening on her shoulders.

Bella closed her eyes. "Bad," she grunted. She felt as if someone had taken a drill to her head and was trying to bore their way clean through. Her body shook with the effort it took for her not to collapse right there. Edward led her over to one of the chairs and sat her down.

"I'm going to go get the car," he said, his voice strained. Bella tried to look up at him, but the movement only resulted in another stabbing pain behind her eyeballs. "Wait here."

As she sat there, the pain battering her like a tiny boat in a stormy sea, she noticed that the sound of the cars in the distance and the bird-song had disappeared. She looked around and saw that everything was the same, but there was no sound. It was like someone had pressed the _mute_ button on the world.

"Weird," she murmured, gasping when the words left her lips, but no sound accompanied them. Fear attacked her and the need for Edward's comforting presence assailed her. She stood and glanced in the direction he had gone. He was too far away.

Suddenly, she wasn't at Peter's graveside anymore, but on one of the small paths between a row of headstones. She looked around, but all she saw were more headstones and trees. How did she get here? Did she black out? Was she hallucinating like that time on the stairs when she swore she was back in Vancouver? She had the feeling that she was headed somewhere important. She had never been to this cemetery before, but something about it felt familiar.

As Bella continued down the path the feeling of familiarity increased as did her headache. A wave of dizziness overtook her, and she grabbed the first thing her hand came in contact with—the knotted, pitted trunk of a small birch tree. She took in a few breaths and was relieved when the dizziness faded enough that her surroundings stopped undulating. She glanced back to where she came from and knew that she should go back before she became completely lost. Despite this, she found herself moving in the opposite direction and further down the path into a small thicket of trees.

She had gone about twenty feet when the trees opened up and the path became visible again. It snaked out in front of her and went up a small incline. At the top of the incline sat a lone headstone. Its white marble gleamed eerily in the bright sunlight, and the reflection of the light sent another shard of pain through her head. She whimpered and clutched her splitting skull.

"I need to go back," she sobbed, but her feet had other ideas. They took her down the path and up the hill. The view from the top was magnificent, but its splendor was lost to Bella. Her eyes were immediately drawn to the beautiful headstone. A small statue of a cherub with wings outstretched graced the top of the headstone. The cherub's stone eyes were downcast, its gaze centered on its flowing garments, but its sorrow was easily discernable. Bella's eyes followed to the inscription and she froze. Carved in cursive writing beneath the cherub's bare feet were the words,

_**In loving memory of Hayley Rebecca Cullen Precious daughter, grand-daughter and niece Born May 16, Died May 16**_

_**Forever loved and always missed**_

The inscription was simple, but Bella's befuddled brain failed to comprehend its meaning. She re-read the words, and as understanding came to her, a pain so sharp tore through her skull that it forced her to her knees.

A flash of memory tore through the dark recesses in her mind. She was pregnant in the memory. Her hands automatically went to her now flat stomach, and a sense of loss so profound hit her that she felt the pain low in her womb. As the final pieces of the puzzle clicked into place, another tidal wave of pain rose inside her skull. She fell forward, and in an attempt to steady herself, her hand came in contact with a sharp stone. She hissed as it tore into the tender skin of her palm. She stared at the droplets of crimson blood as they dripped onto the stone and the earth surrounding it. She reached out towards the inscription and brushed her blood-coated fingers across the name of the child she had carried. The child that now lay beneath the layers of earth forever out of her reach. The child that _she_ had forgotten. Her beautiful daughter, Hayley.

A small, strangled scream of denial left her lips as another memory of her hearing her baby's heart beat for the first time and seeing the fuzzy image of her on the Ultrasound machine bombarded her already over-taxed brain. _What kind of mother am I that I could forget my own child?_

As the curtain closed over her mind, she tried to grab hold of the memory and stay conscious at the same time, but it was futile. A pain so severe shattered her skull and everything went black.

When Edward returned to the area where he left Bella, she was nowhere to be seen. The cane leaning against the chair and Peter's partially wrapped gift were the only indications that she had even been there. He went into the chapel, thinking that maybe she had decided to seek refuge from her pain, but the room was empty. He quickly strode over to Marie, who was placing a single, long-stemmed rose on Peter's casket.

"Marie," he said, keeping his voice even so that the woman would not realise that anything was amiss. "Have you seen Bella?"

Marie looked startled by his sudden presence, but she quickly recovered. She looked around, her forehead crinkling as she thought.

"She was here a few minutes ago," she said. She waved Caroline over. "Have you seen Bella?"

The girl nodded and pointed off in the distance. "She went that way about ten minutes ago," she frowned. "She seemed really weird."

Fear immediately wove Edward's stomach into knots. He knew what lay in that direction—Hayley's grave. Was it possible that Bella remembered? _God please, not now,_ he begged silently. _Please don't let her remember now. Not this way._

"What do you mean weird?" Marie asked, looking worried.

Caroline's eyes darted between her mother and Edward. "She looked funny. She was staring off into space. Her eyes looked all glassy, and then she just brushed by me without a word." She explained. "I called after her, but she just kept walking."

Marie turned to Edward, concern etched into her features. "Edward, is something wrong with Bella? What's going on?"

Edward started to back away, his thoughts now solely on getting to Bella before she came across Hayley's grave. If that happened, it would be over. She would remember everything, and there was no telling what damage it would do to her emotionally and psychologically.

"She had a headache," he muttered. "I'm going to go find her. She probably just went to clear her head." Marie did not look convinced. "Don't worry about it." And with that he turned and sprinted down the path.

With every step he took towards his daughter's grave the weight of his guilt increased. He had visited a handful of times during the first year, but after Bella left it became too painful, and he never came back. He knew his parents and Emmett visited regularly, but he managed to avoid accompanying them. It was wrong for him to abandon his daughter, but he was the reason she was here, and that alone made it unacceptable for him to visit.

When Bella first told him the venue for Peter's funeral, he knew the possibility that being here could trigger her memory. All through the service his apprehension grew, especially when he realised that Bella was trying to hide the headache that had been bothering her for days. He did not want to create a scene by insisting that they leave immediately. As Edward approached the thicket of trees and still there was no sign of Bella, he hoped that his fears would be for nothing.

However, that hope was quickly dashed by the sight that greeted him when he emerged on the other side of the trees. Bella's limp body was splayed across Hayley's grave, her head at an uncomfortable angle. One arm, its fingers curled towards her palm, was outstretched towards the headstone, while her left leg was twisted under her body.

Terror turned the blood in his veins to ice as he covered the remaining distance between them in a matter of seconds. Kneeling beside her, he glanced briefly at the headstone and saw the traces of blood on the white marble, the ground, and on Bella's hand. Edward cradled her head in his lap and quickly assessed her condition. He exhaled in relief when her chest rose and fell in a steady rhythm.

"Bella, baby," he called to her, but she remained silent. "Bella, can you hear me?" More silence.

He took a clean handkerchief from his pocket and wrapped it around Bella's palm to staunch the slow flow of blood. Cradling her in his arms, he stood, took one last glance at their daughter's grave, and then made his way carefully down the hill. He stumbled over an unseen object as his tears momentarily blinded him. He wanted to scream. He wanted to rage at the world, but there was no one to blame but himself. He had thrown away countless opportunities to tell Bella the truth, and now the decision was taken away. It was over. She knew. His life was coming apart at the seams and there was absolutely nothing he could do to stop it. Because of his cowardice, he had once again destroyed their lives.

* * *

The sound of Prince's falsetto voice singing the lyrics to his hit _Seven_ emanated from the speakers on Andy's desk as he tinkered with the small audio synthesizer connected to his laptop. Bopping his head in time to the music, he tapped the small, cordless microphone with his index finger and sang a few bars. The needle of the virtual synthesizer displayed on the laptop's screen remained still.

"Shit!" he swore. He adjusted the settings, set the sensors to maximum and tried again. This time the microphone emitted a screeching, _wet fingers on glass_ sound that made him flinch.

"Sounds about right, don't you think?" a voice laced with barely veiled sarcasm asked.

Andy whirled around and caught James watching him from the doorway, his lips twisted into a sardonic smirk. Andy groaned silently.

"Depends if you know what to listen for," Andy shot back. "Can I help you?" His sharp tone indicated that the last thing he was interested in was helping James with anything.

James stepped further into the room and Andy had the urge to tell him he wasn't welcome in what he considered to be his sanctuary. He gritted his teeth as James ran careless fingers across the UV Micro Spectrophotometer sitting on one of the counters. It took all of his control not to slap the man's hand away.

"I was on my way out and saw the light on," James explained, staring down at his fingers. Andy suspected he was looking for dust particles. He bristled with anger. What right did James have to come into his lab and poke around, let alone inspect his equipment?

"Can I help you?" Andy repeated, his voice filled with anger.

James smiled and gestured to the microphone in Andy's hand. "What are you working on?"

Andy rolled his eyes. "Why? Do you want to help?"

James shrugged. "Just curious."

Andy turned his back on James and placed the microphone on the desk. He went over to his desk, tapped a key on his laptop, and immediately the room fell silent. He then sat in his chair and folded his arms across his chest. He was extremely uncomfortable with James being here, and he wanted him gone. However, he knew that if James realised the level of his discomfort, he would prolong his departure just to further piss him off. They stared at each other in silence until James finally sighed.

"Listen, Andy," he began, shoving his hands into his pants pocket. "This animosity between us has to stop. Eventually we're going to have to bury the hatchet."

Andy snorted and muttered, "How about I bury it in your head?" before he could swallow the caustic retort.

Immediately James' eyes went cold and he stiffened. "Fine," he snapped, his pretense at civility at an end. "But you know what they say?"

Andy narrowed his eyes. "No, what do they say?"

"Keep your friends close and your enemies closer." James' look of anger dissolved and he grinned. Something about the sudden change in his demeanor made Andy nervous. "I think we're going to be extremely close from now on." And with that, James turned and headed for the door.

Andy stared after James as the man exited through the lab's automatic glass doors and proceeded down the hallway, whistling an upbeat version of the ragtime classic _The Entertainer_. A few seconds after that, the tell-tale _ding_ of the arriving elevator signaled James' imminent departure from the building.

_Now, that was weird,_ Andy thought, tugging on his ear.

Andy never liked James from the moment he set eyes on him. There was just something about him that never sat right, and from his experience, he always trusted his instincts. And they told him to stay as far away from James as possible. That nagging feeling, coupled with the unexpected visit and warning, made him incredibly uneasy. Andy shook his head and drew in a deep breath to calm his anxiety. No doubt James' visit was meant to upset his equilibrium, and he had succeeded. However, Andy had no intention of allowing it to continue a moment longer. James was a prick and that was all there was to it. He frowned and glanced at his watch.

"Time for a break," he declared, pushing James and his peculiar behaviour into the back of his mind.

Feeling the need to get some fresh air to help dispel the tension James' visit had caused, Andy decided he would go down to the lobby. There he would raid the vending machines, pass a few minutes with Mike, the guard on duty and then have a go at the synthesizer again. He had invented it a few years ago but eventually shelved it due to other commitments. Needing a distraction to take his mind off the fact that he was not making any progress with Edward's project, he decided to dust it off and try to get it working. The Synthesizer was the perfect tool for field work as it deconstructed sound, unscrambled it, and tagged specific markers to make identifications. If he could work out the remaining bugs, it would revolutionise the way they processed audio from difficult crime scenes.

By the time Andy returned to the lab half hour later, he was in better spirits. His encounter with James was forgotten, and he was looking forward to getting back to work. However, his cheerful mood immediately dissipated when a beeping sound greeted him upon entering the lab.

"What the hell?" he muttered, going around the desk and staring at his computer screen. Excitement shot through him as the words _**MATCH FOUND**_ flashed across the screen in bold, red letters.

"Got you, you bastard," he crowed, and tapped a few keys. As he waited for the information to load, he danced from one foot to the other, barely containing his excitement. "Come on, come on. Let's see you." Andy tapped his fingers impatiently on the desk as the electronic dossier loaded onto the screen.

When the three dimensional picture of Bella's shooter appeared on the screen, Andy's mouth fell open. He blinked repeatedly, but the image on the screen did not waiver. The blood drained from his face, and his knees grew weak. He sat heavily in his chair, his mouth ajar.

"This can't be right," he muttered, running the scan again. The result was the same. "Oh my God!"

Andy grabbed the phone and dialed Edward's cell phone number. As he waited for the line to connect, he continued to stare at the screen in horror. The call went to voice mail. Swearing in every language he knew, Andy dialed Edward's home number. He tapped his fingers frantically on the desk as the phone continued to ring, his eyes on the door.

"C'mon, E," he yelled, cold fingers of fear creeping up his back. "Answer the damn phone."

* * *

To anyone watching Bella, they would think that she was in the throes of a nightmare, but in fact, she was fighting for her life, her sanity. The sphere of light in the darkness beckoned her. It promised to make everything better, promised to rid her of the pain she felt, but she knew it was all a lie. She knew that if she allowed herself to be consumed, her version of reality would be shattered forever. She fought the light's pull with everything she had left, but it was no use. Before she could prepare herself for her imminent annihilation, the sphere slammed into her and like Pandora's Box, her mind opened.

The phone fell from her nerveless fingers and shattered into pieces on the tiled kitchen floor. As she grabbed the counter for support, the sound of her rapidly beating heart filled her ears. She stood there frozen as she replayed snippets of the conversation in her head. Edward... He'd been shot... Critical condition... Hospital... She needed to get there.

That last thought galvanised her into action. Moving as fast as she could given her condition, she flew out of the kitchen and grabbed her keys and bag off the table in the hallway. She wrenched her cardigan off the coat rack and exited through the front door.

Stepping over a puddle, Bella shoved her arms into sleeves of the cardigan and disengaged the locks on the navy SUV parked in the driveway. She barely noticed the chill of the evening as she started the engine, threw the gear into reverse, and backed out of the driveway. Securing the seatbelt across her swollen abdomen, she hissed softly as the child inside shifted position and gave her a sharp thump in the ribs. All day the baby had been unusually active, almost as if she sensed something bad was coming.

As Bella sped down the wet street, she glanced at the clock on the dashboard and applied more pressure to the accelerator. She had barely enough time to catch the next ferry to the city. If she missed it, she would have to wait for the next one. By then, Edward might be dead.

_Dead_. The thought brought tears to her eyes and weighed heavy in her chest. The vehicle swerved as she rounded a corner and she instantly decreased her speed. She needed to be careful as there was much more at stake here than just her life. The baby kicked energetically, as if hearing her thoughts and giving her a silent reminder. Bella took one hand off the steering wheel and massaged her stomach.

"It's going to be okay, Hayley," she assured her, more for her own sake than the baby's. "Daddy's going to be fine, you'll see."

As Bella drove out onto the darkened stretch of highway that would take her directly to the dock, she sent her mind back a couple hours to the last conversation she had with Edward. Well, it wasn't really a conversation, more like an argument.

Edward called to say that he was going to be late due to a development in the Black case. They received an anonymous tip that a key witness had surfaced, and they needed to move immediately to take him into custody. Edward sounded so excited, but Bella could not share in his enthusiasm. Something about the entire situation made her uneasy and she told him so. She pleaded with him not to join the team, to just come home, but he was having none of it.

"Bella," Edward said, exasperation colouring his tone. "This is my case, my team. I have to be there."

"You need to be here," she cried, panic setting in. "With your family. Can't James take your place?"

Edward exhaled, and she knew he was trying to hold onto his temper, but she didn't care. Her instincts told her that this was important. She had to convince him to come home.

"Bella, you're being ridiculous," he snapped. "And selfish. It's my job. How would you have felt had I told you not to go to that meeting in Vancouver last week?"

Bella bristled at Edward's mention of her meeting with the Vancouver Tourism Association. Even now it was still a sore spot between them. She tried to explain that the meeting was essential to the successful launch of her new book, but Edward did not agree. He argued that a trip into the city alone at this late stage of her pregnancy was foolish. He was livid when she made the decision to go despite his protests.

"It's not the same," she argued, desperate to get him to understand her fears.

"You're right," he agreed flatly. "It's not the same. I'm not pregnant. You are and you put your job ahead of Hayley's safety and yours." He sighed. "I've been doing this for a while, Bella. What would you have me do? Hide behind your skirts every time something dangerous comes up?"

"You're being unreasonable, Edward," she chastised, her fear magnifying at the realisation that this was a no-win situation. She knew Edward wasn't willing to compromise this time.

"No, Isabella," he said belligerently. "You're the one being unreasonable." He paused as if weighing his next words. "Look, I'm going and that's all there is. I'll see you when I get home." The line went dead.

_I'll see you when I get home_. Edward's last words echoed through her head as the reality crashed down on her. Would those words said in anger be the last ones they spoke to each other? They had both been so angry then, but now it all seemed unimportant, the emotions tied to the fight forgotten. She would give anything to tell him she was sorry, to have him in her arms. She swiped at the tears coating her cheeks. She prayed she would get such a chance, but that's all she could do...pray. She had no idea how badly he was hurt and that alone drove her crazy. The doctor who called had not been very forthcoming with information.

Bella suddenly remembered that Carlisle was working the late shift. Relief coursed through her. He could help her find out more. Bella leaned over in the passenger seat, her fingers seeking the cell phone in the depths of her bag. She yanked it out, flipped it open with her chin, all the while keeping an eye on the road, and pressed _three—_Carlisle. The phone rang several times then went to voice mail. She tried again, but the result was the same.

"Damn it!" she swore, throwing the phone into the seat. It bounced and teetered on the edge before disappearing from sight. She did another time check and groaned. She was still too far from the pier and wouldn't make it in time.

A sudden beam of light cutting through the darkness behind her made her gasp in surprise. The large, dark painted truck seemed to emerge from the gloom descending upon them. As it swooped towards her, a shiver ran up her spine. She slowed briefly and moved to the side to allow the truck to overtake, but instead, it continued to trail behind her.

The bright beam from the car's headlights, reflecting in the rearview mirror, was almost blinding, and she could barely make out the road ahead of her. Using her knowledge of the terrain, she increased the speed of the SUV to put some distance between the vehicles. As the truck fell behind, Bella breathed a sigh of relief.

As the first fingers of fog crept out of the trees and slid across the road, a feeling of foreboding washed over Bella. She tried to shove it away, but it attacked with renewed vigor. From the time she was a little girl, she had always hated the fog.

Momentarily distracted by the misty veil, she inhaled sharply when a tight corner surrounded by a wall of trees on one side came into view. Bella automatically slowed to avoid losing control of the vehicle. That particular area was notorious for accidents during this time of year when the rainfall was at its highest.

She had just cleared the turn when the revving of an engine drew her attention. Glancing into her rearview mirror, she saw to her horror the truck from earlier barreling towards her. A small scream left her lips when it slammed into her, causing her to jerk forward in her seat. The seatbelt tightened uncomfortably around her chest and middle, momentarily stealing her breath.

"What the..." Bella gasped as the SUV drifted towards the guardrail. She yanked on the steering-wheel and coaxed it back into the correct lane and away from the edge of the deadly ravine. Flooring the accelerator, she sobbed in relief when she cleared the corner and the road began to straighten. However, her relief was short-lived as the juggernaut of metal and glass rammed into her once again. She jammed her foot on the brake, but the momentum from the other vehicle continued to push her forward.

The screech of her tyres on the wet asphalt was deafening, but the unearthly crash of metal against metal was even louder. Before Bella could compensate for the additional speed, the SUV tugged sharply to the right, spun at a forty-five degree angle, and headed across the road towards the tree line. Bella screamed, cradling her abdomen protectively as the vehicle shivered ominously, was momentarily airborne, and then flipped over.

She grunted as her head connected with the driver's side window, patterning the once transparent glass into a network of spider-web like fissures. There was a jarring sensation, the popping sound of glass splintering and the screech of metal as the vehicle flipped onto its top and crumpled around her. There was a moment of intense pain and then...nothing.

The voice reaching into Bella's subconscious was both irritating and persistent. She moaned and coughed as the sound of her name being called reverberated through her head and forced her awake. As she slowly became aware of her surroundings, the stench of gasoline, burning rubber, and another acrid smell overpowered her. She gagged, inhaled deeply and winced. Her head hurt, and every time she drew a breath, she felt as if someone was jabbing her in the ribs with a thousand sharp knives.

_Where am I? What happened?_ she wondered, feeling completely disoriented. Memories came in bits and pieces, but the clarity she sought seemed to drift farther away the more she fought to hold onto it. Raising a hand to her aching head, she winced when her fingers brushed against a wet and tender area. She swallowed and tried to fight the encroaching darkness tugging at the edges of her consciousness. Her instincts told her that it was important for her to remain awake, but she felt weak and defenseless against its pull.

She closed her eyes and was about to succumb to the urge to sleep when a quick movement under her ribs jolted her back to awareness. Her eyes flew open in surprise, and the haze cleared as she remembered the baby inside her. Her hand went to her swollen abdomen, and she cried out in relief when a flurry of movement confirmed that her baby was unharmed. As her brain's functions kicked into a high gear, she realised that she was hanging upside down, the seatbelt being the only thing holding her in place.

Wondering how long she had been unconscious, Bella placed one hand on the car's roof and pressed the seatbelt's release with the other. There was a muted click, but the belt remained in place. After a number of tries, she gave up. As the minutes ticked away she grew more frantic. The fog covering the road entered through the shattered windows of the vehicle and moved against her skin like a living thing. Tugging desperately on the seat belt, she tried to tamp down the urge to scream. She knew she had to focus on freeing herself to find help. Every moment she delayed put her baby's life in danger.

Bella was still struggling with the seat belt when a sharp pain ripped across her abdomen. It was followed shortly by a gush of warm liquid that soaked the lower half of her dress. Fear shot through her as she realised what it was. Her water had broken. She was going into labour.

"No, no!" she sobbed, renewing her efforts to unhook the seatbelt. "Please, not the baby. Not here! Not now!"

Another pain, much sharper than the last, hit her and she gritted her teeth against the scream that begged for release. Stars floated in and out of her line of vision, and while it would be easier to surrender to the pain and slip beneath the surface, she fought its comforting pull. She tried to ignore the cramps attacking her abdomen and concentrate on finding a way to call for help.

Remembering her cell phone, she felt around in the darkness in the hopes that by luck, her fingers would brush against it. After a few seconds, she gave up.

Time became one endless, incoherent stream as the fear for her baby's life and the pain slowly drove Bella to the point where she began to hallucinate. At one point, she swore she heard footsteps on the road outside, but when her pleas to save her baby went unanswered, she knew it was all in her mind. And then, when it was impossible for her to hold on a moment longer, she heard the sound that brought her comfort. Sirens. Help was on the way. Her baby was going to be safe.

* * *

A stabbing sensation in her left arm brought Bella shooting to the surface of consciousness. As the stabbing transformed into a stinging sensation, she tried to pull her arm away but found that she was incapable of doing so. She tried to tell whoever was hurting her to stop, but the connection between her brain and tongue seemed to have dissolved, along with her ability to move.

Light abruptly invaded the dark behind her lids as not-so-gentle fingers popped her eyelids open. Bella mentally shrank away when a bright light was shone into her eyes, but once again, she could not communicate to the person to stop. _Am I dead?_ This was not how she imagined death. She assumed it would be something more pleasant and quiet. Not filled with muted conversations, electronic beeping, the smell of blood, and a repeated thumping sound that reminded her of large wings beating against air.

Another sharp pain, this time centered in her abdomen. _My baby_. Was Hayley all right? And what about Edward, where was he? Why didn't she sense him? Why wasn't he there? Why hadn't he come to them? Did this mean that she was dead? That's the only reason why Edward wouldn't come if he knew she was hurt. And if she was dead, did that also mean that her baby was as well?

A gurgling noise reached her a split second before she realised that she was the source of the sound. She panicked as the tears forming beneath her closed lids spilt onto her cheeks and slid down into her hair. She sensed another presence beside her, and then cool fingers touched her cheek.

"Christ, is she awake?" a male voice asked. There went the light in her eyes again. This time she managed to raise a hand to brush it away. "Holy fuck, she's awake? Ryan, get over here _now_."

"Miss," another voice said. This one was female, gentle and concerned. "Can you hear me?" Bella tried to turn her head in the direction of the voice, but her head felt so heavy that all she could do was give a slight nod. "Can you tell us your name?"

"I-Isabella Cullen," she whispered, forcing her eyes open. Through the kaleidoscope patterned world, she caught a glimpse of brown eyes and red hair as the person speaking to her leaned closer to decipher her words. "P-please, my baby. Save my b-baby."

The woman straightened abruptly. She was no longer looking at her with concern but staring at her in horror. The woman's eyes darted to someone that Bella could not see. She assumed it was the man from earlier.

"Oh my God!" the woman blurted out. "I know who she is."

"Who is she?" the male voice demanded. Bella did not like his voice. He sounded angry, impatient, and that scared her.

"She's Dr. Cullen's daughter-in-law," she whispered. "Edward's wife."

"Jesus Christ!" the man exclaimed, holding over to get a better look at her. He was so close that Bella had difficulty discerning his features. "Didn't we fly him in this evening?"

"Yeah. He was in pretty bad shape. The word in Trauma is that Dr. C isn't taking it well," the woman replied, her eyes now on Bella. "Do you think she knows?"

Bella tried to cling to the conversation, to hear what they were saying about Edward, but whatever they injected into her arm was having the most amazing effect on her body. She felt weightless and surprisingly carefree. There was a tugging feeling as if she was dangling from the end of a long rope, a snapping sensation, and then she was floating, up, up towards the ceiling.

* * *

Bella stared down at the tiny, blanket wrapped bundle Carlisle placed in her arms. The beautiful, pale, tiny face capped by a head full of copper-coloured curls reminded her of Edward. She knew if the child was able to open her eyes, they would be the most incredible shade of green. Just like Edward's.

"Bella," Carlisle whispered, his voice breaking. He reached out to take the baby from her. "It's time. She has to go."

Bella looked up and saw two men dressed in blue scrubs standing beside the door. They both looked uncomfortable and sympathetic. She clutched the baby protectively against her chest and shook her head stubbornly. Carlisle's eyes filled with tears, and his hands trembled as he took a step towards her. Bella tried to slide off the bed, but the pain throughout her body and the machines attached to her held her immobile.

"No!" she cried, staring at Hayley again. The child looked so peaceful, so perfect. Bella felt like shaking her. Screaming for her to open her eyes and prove to Carlisle and the others that she was alive. "She'll be okay, Carlisle. Just give her a chance." She pleaded as he came closer. "She's just asleep. Didn't you say babies sleep a lot the first few hours after they're born?"

Carlisle shook his head and a tear slid down his cheek. "Bella, please. This is different. You know that."

"N-no! You're wrong," she sobbed, brushing her lips against the baby's still warm forehead. "She's okay. Please, just give her a chance, Carlisle."

"Bella, I'm sorry," Carlisle said, and before she could protest, her baby was taken from her arms and was being carried from the room.

Bella fought against the hands holding her down, but it was no use. She screamed repeatedly for the man to bring her baby back, but he never did. Instead, a nurse appeared at her side, stuck a needle into the drip attached to her arm, and after that, darkness claimed her once again.

* * *

Edward glanced at his watch for what seemed like the hundredth time in the past thirty minutes. He exhaled loudly, stood, and paced back and forth across the hardwood floor of the living room.

When he was within arm's reach of Esme, she placed a hand on his arm to still his movements. Edward looked startled, almost as if he had forgotten his family was gathered there. The expression on his face reflected the turmoil he was feeling inside.

"Edward," Esme began; her voice was soothing but held a hint of reproach. "Calm down. It's going to be all right."

He ran a trembling hand through his hair. "No!" he said, shaking his head. "It won't be, not this time." He completed another rotation across the floor's surface. "It's over. Done!" he reiterated vehemently, tugging on his hair until it stood straight up.

"I'm sure Esme's right," Rosalie chimed in from across the room. She was seated on the couch, her right leg tucked under her body, her hand positioned on her rounded stomach. Edward's gaze lingered there for a second before he looked away, his eyes filled with grief. "Bella loves you. She'll understand."

Edward froze at Rosalie's words. Yes, he knew that Bella loved him but that love could just as easily turn to hate. It had before. When she woke up what would be her reaction to the secret he kept from her for all these months? Would his deceit end them, or would the relationship they had built during the past months help them to survive? He was terrified to find out the answer.

No matter how hard he tried, he could not seem to get the image of Bella lying across Hayley's grave out of his mind. It reminded him of the dream he had every night after the accident. He and Bella would go to visit Hayley's grave, but when they got to it, there would be two headstones instead of one. And when he turned to Bella, she wasn't at his side. Her name would then slowly appear on the new headstone, written in her blood. It was another of the reasons he found it so difficult to visit Hayley's grave after Bella left. With the recent events in their lives, his nightmare could have become a reality.

When Carlisle and the others arrived at the house, Carlisle immediately went upstairs and tended to the wound on Bella's hand. Covered in blood, it looked worse than it really was. All she required were butterfly bandages and a tetanus shot. Carlisle informed Edward that the physical wounds would heal quickly. However, the mental ones were a different matter altogether.

Alice arrived shortly afterwards, and her accusing glare before she pushed pass him made him feel worse. She predicted this would happen, but he was too stubborn to listen. Edward looked around at his family. They all tried to warn him, but he had allowed stubbornness and arrogance to blind him. He thought he had everything under control; how ignorant he was.

"Is she awake yet?" Emmett asked, his voice cutting through the tense silence in the room. He entered from the kitchen, a tray laden with drinks in his hands. He made the rounds, but when he got to his brother, Edward shook his head. Refreshment was the last thing on his mind.

"No," Alice's voice said a split second before she physically appeared in the room. Her face was pale, her eyes filled with concern. She glanced briefly at Edward, frowned, and took the seat beside Rosalie.

Emmett deposited the tray on the coffee table with a bit more force than was necessary and plopped down beside Rosalie. She reached out and entwined her fingers with his as he turned to his father.

"Dad, are you sure she's okay?" Emmett asked, frustrated. "Shouldn't she be awake by now?"

Carlisle nodded, but his eyes did not hold the reassurance they sought. "She'll be okay. Just give her some time." He turned to Alice. "Alice, how is she?"

Alice sighed. "She's restless. I think that sedative you gave her is beginning to wear off."

She glanced at Edward, but when she caught him watching her, she quickly averted her eyes. He immediately became suspicious. He knew Alice was angry with him, but there was something else. Alice was leaving something out, something important. Was Bella's distress worse than when they arrived home? All through the trip from Seattle Bella remained unconscious, her faint murmurings and tiny cries the only signs that she was just asleep and not seriously injured. Now Alice was purposely being evasive. He narrowed his eyes.

"Alice," his voice was firm. "What's going on?"

But before Alice could answer, the sound of footsteps on the stairs made them all snap to attention. Conversation in the room drew to a halt, and they waited with varying degrees of anxiety on their faces. Bella walked into the room and one look at her face told Edward all he needed to know; she remembered.

Bella's face was deathly pale, her eyes were red, slightly swollen, and the lips which were pressed into a firm line trembled slightly. Edward took a hesitant step towards her, then another, until he stood before her. He moved to embrace her, but she held up her hands, warding him off. Her next words stopped him cold and made his inside crumble.

"How could you?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper. Her gaze swept across the others in the room. "How could you? All this time." A solitary tear broke free and slid down her cheek. When she spoke again, her voice was louder, angrier. "All this time you lied to me."

Edward wanted to reach out to Bella, draw her into his arms, and tell her that everything was going to be all right, but it wasn't. The expression on her face told him that. Instead, he stood his ground and schooled his features into a calm he did not feel.

"Bella, what exactly do you remember?"

Bella's cold glare cut through him. "Everything _you_ didn't want me to," she spat, her eyes flashing angrily. "I remember our fight, the accident, everything. I remember Hayley. Our daughter who died because your goddamn job was more important than your family." Twin spots of colour appeared on Bella's cheeks as her agitation levels increased. "Our beautiful little girl who never had a chance because you brought your damn job home. Our little girl you chose to forget about because it was easier for you to deny she ever existed."

"Bella!" Esme's mortified voice pleaded. Edward held up a hand to still his mother. Esme fell silent, tears running down her cheeks. Carlisle, his face a grim mask, placed a comforting arm around her shoulders.

"Go on," Edward said hoarsely.

Bella folded her arms across her chest, her posture erect. "I remember begging you, Edward, _begging _you not to take that call. To come home to us, but you wouldn't. And where did the dedication to your job get you? It killed your daughter and almost killed me, but I guess we were just casualties of the fucking war you had against Jacob Black."

Edward flinched as each of Bella's accusations hit him with deadly precision. Numbness crept from his gut, up his chest and paralysed his vocal chords. He wanted to shout his denial. He wanted to tell Bella that none of what she said was true, but he couldn't because deep down, he had had the very same thoughts. And those same thoughts slowly ate away at his soul for the past four years until it was frayed and threadbare. He sensed movement behind him, but not even his family's presence provided any comfort.

Years of F.B.I training prepared him to deal with every conceivable situation, but nothing prepared him for the emotional attack the woman he loved would rage against him. He swallowed convulsively as he tried to force words past his lips.

"Bella," he pleaded, surprised by the steadiness of his voice. "Let me explain, please."

Bella rolled her eyes. "Oh! Now you want to explain?" She laughed mockingly. "Now you want to be forthright? Well you know what? I don't want to hear it because it'll just be another lie." Bella's voice was close to becoming a shout. Her body vibrated from the storm of emotions raging inside. "And that's what you are, Edward. A liar." She assessed the others with cool indifference. "You all are."

A collective gasp erupted in the room. Esme cover her mouth with a trembling hand. Carlisle went pale, Rosalie looked uncomfortable, Emmett glared at Edward's back, shaking his head, and Alice looked devastated. A sliver of remorse flickered through Bella for causing them pain, but the betrayal she felt quickly extinguished it. She dropped her arms to her sides and folded her hands into fists to keep a firm anchor on her anger. She used the pain in her injured palm to focus and not allow herself to be swayed by her emotions.

Alice came over to Edward's side. Her pretty face was pinched with tension and her eyes were filled with tears. She reached out a hand to her friend, but Bella stared at it like it was something dirty. Bella's steely gaze travelled slowly from the offered hand to Alice's face.

"And you," Bella growled. Alice flinched as if Bella had hit her. "You're supposed to be my friend and all along you knew." Disappointment flashed in the depths of Bella's eyes. "I trusted you, Alice. How could you do this?"

Alice began to weep openly. Her small body shook from the force of her tears.

"I-I'm so sorry, Bella," she sobbed, wringing her hands. "W-we were just trying to help. You were in so much pain..."

Bella's eyes widened. "Help!" she shrieked, cutting Alice off. "You call lying to me about my baby helping? Are you insane?" Her chest heaved from the force of her outburst. "Who do you people think you are? You have no right to make decisions about _my_ life." She clapped the heel of her unbandaged hand against her forehead. "My God! What else have you been hiding from me?"

Edward shook his head. "There's nothing else," he said. "I promise."

Bella gave an angry, bitter laugh. "Don't, Edward. Right now your promises are meaningless."

"Bella, we know you're angry, but you must understand that we did it because we love you," Esme beseeched. She left Carlisle's side and came to stand beside Edward and Alice. "You were in no condition to deal with the truth about Hayley."

Hurt flashed in Bella's eyes. "Maybe not, but you had no right."

Esme reached out a hand towards her, but Bella took a couple faltering steps backwards, effectively putting some distance between herself and the woman she considered her second mother. Anger burned its way through her system until it felt as if every vein and artery was on fire. She looked around at the members of her supposed "family" and felt bereft. She trusted them. She thought she knew them. She loved them, but it was all a farce. They claimed to love her, but all this time they were lying to her. If that was their idea of love, then she wanted no part of it.

Feeling completely alone, she could not contain the strangled sob that left her lips. She felt this way once before—the day she awoke to the crushing realisation that she had no idea who she was and that her past had been obliterated. But it got better. With Edward's care and the rest of the Cullens and Alice supporting her, she did not feel alone. She felt whole, loved. Now this?

She gazed into the green eyes that always brought her comfort, but not this time. Edward's betrayal cut the deepest. When she thought of all the times he could have told her, all the times they made love and he remained silent, it just about made her sick to her stomach. She thought him above reproach, but now she realised that the man she thought she knew and loved did not exist. She felt like a fool. It was too much for her to bear. She turned and walked away.

Bella was halfway up the stairs when Edward's long fingers encircled her wrist and held fast, halting her ascent. As usual, his touch unleashed a maelstrom of emotions and it brought her anger roaring back to the surface. She yanked her hand from his grasp, spun around and slapped him hard across the face. The sound of flesh against flesh reverberated off the walls and drowned out the horrified gasps of the people standing in the entryway. It wasn't until Bella saw the tell-tale outline of her fingers across Edward's cheek that she realised she had actually slapped him. He stared at her in surprise. She should have felt regret, but all she felt was the choking, noxious presence of her anger.

"Don't you ever touch me again, Edward. Ever!" she snarled, a look of contempt on her face. Edward's face grew paler still. "I hate you."

As Edward watched Bella turn from him and continue up the stairs, his heart twisted inside his chest and shattered into tiny pieces. His worst fear had finally come true. She hated him. It was no less than he deserved. After all, he had lied to her continuously and defiled the memory of their daughter by doing so. He wished the bullet that pierced his chest so long ago had done its job. It would have been better for Bella. Yes, Hayley would still have died, but at least Bella would have had some measure of closure and would have had the opportunity to move on by now. She might've been married again and had another child. But that option was taken away because he lived, brought Jacob Black into her life once again, and invariably, hurt her. Oh yes, he deserved her hatred and much more.

Esme stared at her son as he descended the stairs. She had seen that look before. He looked dead inside, utterly defeated, and it scared her. She turned to Carlisle and saw his handsome features tighten. He saw the same thing and shared her concerns. When Edward reached the bottom, she took him by the shoulders and gently shook him. He tried to pull away, his eyes downcast, but she tightened her grip.

"Now you listen to me, Edward Anthony Cullen," she instructed firmly. "I know what you're thinking, and I won't stand for this sort of self-destructive behavior. You made a decision how to handle this, and you will deal with the consequences as a man." She tilted Edward's chin so that he was looking into her eyes. "Bella loves you, and even though she might not understand why you did what you did, eventually she will."

Edward stared at his mother incredulously and wondered if she had heard anything Bella said. How angry and disappointed she was in him. How she hated him and thought he was the most despicable person on the planet. How she blamed him for the death of their daughter. Hadn't any of them heard?

Esme saw the look of disbelief of her son's face and tried to draw him into her arms to offer some measure of comfort, but he wasn't having it. He brushed her hands away, turned and walked away despite the entreaties for him to come back.

* * *

The slamming of a door drew Bella's eyes from the quickly darkening sky and focused them on the figure striding across the lawn towards the jetty. Edward. She could not see his face, but from the slump of his shoulders and the downward tilt of his head, she knew he was hurting. She was the source of that pain, but she felt no remorse. They were now in the same place—misery. Now he knew how it felt to cause pain and be in pain.

Bella's eyes continued to follow him until he reached the jetty's end. Gripping the rails in both hands, he leaned against the weathered wood and stared out at the waters of Archer's Lake. The blue, orange and pink sky reflecting off the water, created an alternate reality of topsy-turvy beauty on its mirrored surface. It was beautiful, but Bella felt no joy at it, and she suspected neither did Edward. She watched him slide down to the ground and drop his face to his palms. When his shoulders began to shake, she turned away. No, she would not feel pity for him. He deserved to be in pain. He had brought this upon himself. Her pain and anger were the only things she had to hold on to, and she would not allow whatever feelings she had for Edward to nullify that.

Glancing at the bed that she once occupied, she longed to just lie there, curl into a ball, and let misery take her. It would be easy, it would be convenient, but she did not want easy and convenient. While she did not yet possess all her memories, she suspected that four years ago she had taken the easy and convenient route. And where had that gotten her? Emotionally ripped to shreds.

Bella straightened her shoulders decisively. No, this time she would not go quietly into the night. This time she would face it head on, pick up the pieces, and move on. Even if that move meant leaving her new life behind. She had done it before. She could do it again.

The thought of leaving everything behind brought about a fresh wave of depression along with the need to escape the confining walls of the house that she and Edward called home. This place was now alien to her.

Ten minutes later, after managing to escape being seen by any of the occupants in the living room, Bella attached Chester's leash to his collar and they both slipped out the back door. Heading in the opposite direction from the jetty and Edward, they crept across the damp grass and slipped through a gap in the hedge. She glanced briefly at the house and then stepped into the street.

* * *

Edward wiped his wet face against his sleeve. His head ached, his eyes felt as if handfuls of sand had been thrown into them, and his throat was sore. Wearily, he pulled his body into an upright position and slowly headed across the lawn towards the house. He dreaded going inside. He knew his family waited, equipped with a never-ending stream of sentiments designed to make him feel better about the fact that he screwed up. Didn't they realise it would only make the situation worse?

Taking a deep breath, he turned the doorknob and stepped into the kitchen. Almost immediately, Alice entered the room, the cordless phone in hand. He groaned silently. _Not now_. Forcing himself to carry on even a semblance of a normal conversation was enough to drive him over the edge.

"Who is it?" he asked gruffly when Alice tried to hand over the phone.

She scowled. "I'm not your receptionist, Edward," she said acidly, shoving the phone at him. "He says it's urgent."

Edward grudgingly took the phone and placed it to his ear, all the while thinking of a plausible excuse to cut the conversation short. Alice shot him a dark look and walked away. He sighed. There would be no forgiveness from her anytime soon, and in all fairness he couldn't blame her. He had done the one thing she specifically asked him not to do...hurt Bella.

"Hello," he offered in greeting, trying to keep the impatience from his voice.

"E, thank God," Andy said, his relief evident. "Listen, we've..."

"Look, Andy," Edward said, cutting him short. "Now is really not a good time. Can we do this later?"

There was a crash in the background, followed by complete silence and then the furious clicking sound of fingers against a keyboard.

"No, E! This can't wait," Andy said an almost hysterical edge to his voice.

Edward froze. In all the time he worked with Andy he had never heard the man sound so upset. He leaned his hip against the counter and glanced across at Chester's basket. It was empty. Assuming that the pup had wandered off to another part of the house, he focused on Andy.

"What's wrong?"

Andy paused. "I-I got a match on that voice you asked me to analyse."

Edward straightened, excitement leaping through him. "That's great. Who is it?" Again there was silence on Andy's end of the line. Edward gripped the phone tightly as his impatience increased. "Andy, who is it?"

"I checked and double checked, E," he whispered. "There's no mistake."

By now, Edward was on full alert. His instincts told him that what Andy discovered was bad. So bad that the usual straight talking man was stalling. This was completely out of character for him.

"Andy," he said, his voice dangerously low. "Who is it?"

Andy was silent for a few seconds before he finally exploded. "James!" he snarled. "It's fucking James, E."

A buzzing noise erupted inside Edward's head and through the tumult, he heard Andy call his name repeatedly. _No!_ Not the man that he trusted and considered a friend. Not the man that watched over his back and had been a part of his family for the past five years. It couldn't be. But deep down, he knew he could trust Andy to be right. Andy would never make the accusation against a fellow agent if there was even a shred of doubt. Edward pinched the bridge of his nose and inhaled raggedly.

"Are you sure?" he asked, praying that it was all a huge mistake, because if it wasn't, this was even bigger than just James' attack on Bella. It meant that he was the leak. He was the reason three witnesses were dead. He was in league with Jacob Black and had been thwarting the investigation all this time.

"I'm sorry, E," Andy apologised. "But I'm one hundred percent sure. James Wynters is your shooter and more than likely, our leak."

"Where is he?" Edward demanded. He barely acknowledged his family as they filed into the kitchen, the rising levels of his voice acting as a beacon to them. All he wanted to do was find James and kill him. That bastard had hurt...no, almost killed the woman he loved.

"Hang on," Andy said, his voice muffled. There were more rapid clicks from the keyboard. "I'm tapping into the GPS device in his car now." Edward gritted his teeth as the wait became almost unbearable. There was a gasp on the other end. "Shit, E, he's there."

"_What?_" Edward barked, immediately reaching for his gun in its usual place at his side. It wasn't there. He remembered it was locked away in the safe in the study.

"He's headed your way. You've got about fifteen minutes," Andy's voice was almost a scream. "E, get your family out. Do you hear me? Get out. Don't fuck with him, just keep running until we can get to you. I'm calling Shannon now. Back-up is on the way." The hollow sound of dial tone replaced Andy's voice.

Edward stood there, his mind working furiously. Pieces of the puzzle from now and in the past fell into place. James' bizarre behavior at times. His cold, methodical way of thinking. His sudden disappearances and reappearances, sometimes at a crime scene. Chicago was one of those crime scenes. He never sent him there to investigate the Tony Perry murder, but he was there. All this time Edward assumed Shannon had been the one to send him, but now he knew differently. More than likely James was the one to dispatch Tony. _Damn it_. He brought his fist down on the counter. James had played them all for fools.

But something made no sense. James had known Bella was alive now for months, why hadn't he done anything about it? If he was the one Jacob Black hired him to take her out, why hadn't he finished the job? What was he waiting for? And most of all, why was he making a move now?

"Edward," Esme's voice was tentative and filled with panic. "What's going on?"

Edward was just about to answer when he was hit by a theory that scared him to the very depths of his soul. He strode over to the laundry room and peeked inside. It was empty. Returning to the kitchen, he glanced at the hook above the door and gulped. Chester's red leash was missing.

"No, no," he yelled and heading for the stairs, took them two at a time.

By the time Edward reached the upstairs landing, he knew Bella was gone. She had taken Chester with her. She was out there, in the dark, at the mercy of the elements and James.

The final piece clicked into place. Edward now knew why James was here. He was here for Bella and unwillingly, he had delivered her to him on a silver platter.

* * *

Bella shivered and silently berated herself for her stupidity. She was cold, wet, and her leg ached. Her arms ached too from the weight of the equally wet puppy she held against her chest. Chester whimpered and snuggled deeper into the wet fabric of Bella's jacket, seeking the warmth her body provided.

About twenty minutes into their journey to nowhere, the rain began to fall. At first they sought shelter under the wide branches of a small group of maple trees, but that soon proved to be an error in judgment as the rain laden leaves tipped over and soaked them both. Stumbling around in the dark, Bella managed to find the road again and just kept walking. But walking to where she had no idea. In the dark everything looked the same. She could be ten minutes away from home or ten miles. The deluge and darkness wiped away any traces they would have left behind.

Chester sneezed and Bella automatically drew him closer to her. She drew the zipper of her jacket up until only his nose peeped out through the opening. He wiggled and then went still.

"We'll be home soon, Chester," she assured, panic gnawing away at her confidence.

She stumbled and wished that she had not allowed emotion to rule her thinking when she left the house. She had been in such a hurry to escape that she had left her cane behind, and now her leg dragged painfully. She gritted her teeth when a cramp attacked her calf. Jasper was going to hit the roof. Her leg had not ached like this in weeks. It meant that either she had damaged the nerves again, hence undoing all the work she and Jasper had done during their sessions, or she had caused a new injury. Either way, Jasper was going to kill her.

She knew she should probably call someone to come to collect them, but she wasn't ready to talk to anyone, especially Edward. She was still angry at him, but more so hurt. His betrayal was like an open wound, and any interaction now would be like pouring salt into the wound. He had robbed her of her memories of their daughter and for that she could not forgive him.

Bella walked for another ten minutes until she felt as if she would collapse. She looked around and groaned. All she saw were trees on both sides of the road and not a house in sight. She was completely lost, so lost that even if she gave in and made the call, she could not say where she was.

The sudden howl of an animal almost made her jump out of her skin. When it was quickly answered by another howl, this one sounding closer to her location, she knew it was time for her to get a move on.

The road turned sharply and then straightened out, disappearing into the dark ahead. Determined to keep walking until either her legs gave out or she returned to civilisation, she hummed a tune to pass the time. Tears streaked her cheeks, but she refused to acknowledge their presence or their source.

When headlights from an oncoming car swung around the corner, Bella gave a sob of relief. She stepped into the road and waved frantically with one hand. There was the screech of tyres as the driver of the car saw her and barely managed to stop in time before running her over.

She limped around to the passenger side, but froze when the window slid silently down and a familiar voice reached out to her from the dark interior of the car.

"Bella?" the voice said. The light in the car flickered on, and there sitting behind the wheel was James, a look of concern on his face. "What the hell are you doing out here?" He leaned over, opened the door, and gestured for her to get in. "And why are you alone?"

"I'm not alone," she said, pointing to the bulge in her jacket.

James laughed. "So it seems. What have you got there?"

Chester began to wriggle and protest as she pulled the zip down so James could see what she held in her arms. Chester's head popped out, and then he did the most astonishing thing—his lips curled back over his teeth and he let out a menacing growl. The sound sent a shiver up Bella's spine, and James' smile faltered momentarily.

"Is he dangerous?" James asked worriedly, his eyes on Chester's sharp, white teeth.

Bella looked at Chester in surprise. He had never reacted to anyone like this, not even to a complete stranger. She stroked his head, trying to quiet his snarls of rage.

"I—I don't know what's gotten into him," she apologised. "He's never behaved this way before."

James' smile slid back into place. He pointed to the backseat with his thumb. "He's probably cold. Just put him in the back and let's get you both home," He shook his head dolefully. "Knowing Edward, he's probably out of his mind with worry."

Bella weighed her options. While she and James still exercised their truce, she was still uncomfortable around him. Should she take her chances and continue walking, or should she accept James' gracious offer? Two things made the decision for her. One, admist his growls, Chester began to sneeze again, and two, the howls from earlier were closer. So close that she swore she could hear movement in the underbrush. She quickly unzipped her jacket and placed it in the back seat to protect it from Chester's wet body. She then secured the now silent Chester on the jacket and slid into the front seat.

As she tugged the cold, wet T-shirt away from her body and yanked the elastic band from her wet hair, James cranked up the heat and locked the doors. The sharp click of the locks slipping into place made her nervous, and again she questioned her decision to accept the ride. But before she could change her mind, James shoved the car into drive and started down the dark street.

"You know," he said, after a minute or so of silence. "You should be more careful. You never know who you'll meet in a place like this." He grinned, his hands tightening on the steering-wheel. "Yes, you never know who you can meet."

* * *

**Chapter End Notes:**

So, do you forgive me? Did that make up for my incredibly long absence?

Now, to the acknowledgments.

Special dedication goes out to _**Totteacher – **____(Your review brought tears to my eyes. Thanks a million)__**, magan bagan **____(So glad you loved Jasper's background. He is so cool),__** Twilight forever **____(Sorry for the tears. I hope this makes up for it),__** fvprosey, Sparrow's Lassie **____(You ROCK!),__** malan09, 7KatPat **____(Loved, loved your review)__** & savvyfalls **____(Sorry for the break in between chapters)_.

I also need to thank, _**Jasveen **_(Thanks for your support. Loved the review),_**kiwivampire, Jenninemarie, kbaby77 & ksw3 . **____To all those who read but did not review and added me to their favourites, a heartfelt THANK YOU._

Ok, for a bit of news, A Second Chance at Love has been nominated in the Sparkleteers Rare Gem Awards in the category Best Angst - Diamond In The Rough. Voting begins 15th November, 2010. Please go over and place your vote at h t t p:/thesparkleteerawards(.)blogspot(.)com/p/test(.)html

Until next time (in the very near future).


	35. Judge

A/N: A heartfelt apology goes out to all my readers for leaving you in the dark for so long where this story was concerned. Some major family health issues arose at the end of last year and dealing with that and the other aspects of my life, I found it difficult to concentrate and continue with this. However, here I am again and I promise not to leave you and my characters alone for so long a period again.

Thank you to all those who have stood by my side during this drought. Thank you for all your prayers and well-wishes. Please, enjoy.

* * *

**Chapter 34 - Judge...**

**Day 1, 7:45pm**

Edward slammed the cell phone onto the counter with enough force to shatter it into pieces. This was the fourth time he had called Bella, and each time it rang and then went to voicemail. Running trembling fingers through his hair, he tried to calm the fear raging inside him before he completely lost his sanity.

When he announced to his family that Bella was in danger, utter bedlam erupted in his house. None of them could fathom why James was connected to Jacob Black, and that he was the one that shot Bella. The fact that Bella could be in his clutches decimated any strength his family could muster. Emmett and Jasper went out immediately to try and find Bella, while his father took his mother upstairs to keep her from falling apart.

Edward glanced at Alice, who was sitting on the couch with her face pressed into Rosalie's shoulder. She was inconsolable and rocked back and forth as she cried. Feeling his gaze on them, Rosalie's eyes met his and she gave him a small smile. It was meant to be comforting, but he saw her pain and concern. Rosalie and Bella had grown incredibly close during the last few months.

Suddenly feeling claustrophobic, he went to the window and stared outside. It was pitch black with the exception of the street lights; their muddy, yellow glow barely penetrated the darkness. Somewhere out there, Bella was in danger and he couldn't help her. He was completely useless. He should be the one out there searching for the woman he loved, not Emmett and Jasper. But he agreed to stay behind until Shannon and the team arrived. As soon as that happened, and assuming there was still no word from Emmett, he would join the search.

He glanced at his watch again and felt his anxiety climb another notch. He hoped that he was wrong and that Bella was safe. But as every second passed, his hope diminished. The realisation that James could already have her seized his body.

"Edward," Rosalie said, her voice sounding closer than he expected. He spun around and found her standing a few feet away. Alice was now asleep on the couch with a throw pillow beneath her head. "What's wrong?"

His face crumbled. "It's too late," he whispered, his voice hoarse with unshed tears. "Emmett and Jasper won't find her."

Rosalie grabbed his arm, disbelief etched into the flawless planes of her face. "W-what are you talking about?" she demanded. "How can you be sure?"

His cell phone began to ring on the counter. He quickly strode over and answered the call. It was Emmett.

"Did you find her?" Edward asked, as the knot of anxiety twisted in his stomach. As much as he wanted to hear Emmett's answer, he was scared as well. What if Emmett _had_ found her, but it was too late? What if she was already dead? His chest suddenly felt tight. "Emmett, did you find her?"

"No," Emmett answered. Relief coursed through Edward. "But I found an abandoned car near Watkins Ravine, and Chester was in it," Emmett said, his voice hesitant.

_Watkins Ravine?_ Edward was familiar with the place. It was about five miles away. There was no way Bella could make it that far on foot. She wasn't strong enough and Chester would slow her down.

"There's something else..."

The uncomfortable feeling inside Edward's chest intensified. "What?" he croaked, ignoring Rosalie's comforting arm around his waist.

"There's blood," Emmett choked. "Lots of it. On the seats, the door, and the window. Edward, I think she's hurt... bad."

* * *

James pushed a button on the radio's console and smiled contentedly. The opening notes of a popular pop song came on, and he sang tunelessly along. Victory was sweet. All his months of planning had finally paid off. Bella was his and no one could take her from him now.

James glanced at the figure lying prone beside him. The dim light from the dash board reflected off of Bella's pale skin and confirmed that she was still unconscious. Blood stained her left cheek, neck, and T-shirt. He didn't mean to hit her so hard, but she forced his hand and he had to act fast.

He blamed the dog. They hadn't gotten very far into their journey before the mutt had started up again. He growled and howled and nothing Bella had said calmed him. It had taken all his energy to keep up the pretence of the concerned friend and partner. The mutt's antics only set him further on edge. It got to the point where he had felt like pulling out his gun and silencing the foul, smelly beast. Another couple minutes of the racket, and Bella had instructed him to pull over.

At first he had pretended not to hear, hoping that either she would give up on the idea or the damn dog would shut up. He had worked too hard to get to this point. There was no way he was letting Bella out of the car and risk her slipping away. Under the guise of finding an appropriate place to park, he had driven until he found a secluded area a few yards off the main road, and pulled over. He had then reached into the compartment in his door and pulled out the gun he had hidden there earlier. She was busy disengaging the lock when he brought the butt of it crashing into her skull. He had barely managed to catch her before her head smashed into the dashboard.

The dog had launched itself through the space between the seats, its sharp, snapping teeth trying to latch onto his arm. He managed to slip his arm out of his jacket sleeve a split second before it caught hold of the fabric and bit down. He lashed out wildly, striking the dog directly in the face. It fell backwards with a whine, and then he fired into the backseat. A sharp bark of pain indicated that his aim had been true.

He then drove to the area where he had another car waiting. He carried Bella into the other car and drove off, putting as much distance between them and Edward's neighbourhood. That was an hour ago, and the closer they got to his intended destination, the more relaxed he felt.

The ringing of a phone jarred James back to the present. He glanced apprehensively at his captive. She didn't move. That could either be good or bad. The amount of blood from the wound on her scalp worried him. As it was, he was unsure if the blow he gave her had caused any damage. Bella was no good to him injured. He needed her to be fully aware of everything that was going to happen to her. He would not be cheated of his pleasure.

The continued ringing of Bella's cell phone grated on James' already sensitive nerves. He reached over and shoved his hand into the pocket of Bella's jeans. As his fingers slid against her hip, a thrill of anticipation went through him. Soon he would be able to experience the real thing, but first, he had an obstacle to deal with. _Edward._

The phone had started ringing less than two minutes after Bella got in the car. At first, she glanced at the display, but after that, she completely ignored it. She had turned her face away, no doubt to hide her tears. It was all the confirmation James needed. Something major had happened between Bella and Edward. He suspected that finally, Edward's carefully constructed house of lies had come crashing down.

He had watched for months as the smug bastard continued to carry on his charade of loving boyfriend and ex-husband. Months where he became physically sick just knowing that each night, Bella went to Edward's bed. He tried not to blame her. After all, she was a pawn in a bigger game—an unwilling participant in Edward's lies. He tried hard to convince himself of that, but every time he saw them together, it became harder to hold onto that belief. Bella was just as guilty as Edward; more so even, and she deserved to be punished. He would be her judge, jury, and executioner.

Retrieving the cell phone from the depths of Bella's pocket, James glanced at the display. Just as he thought, it was Edward. He was tempted to end the call; revulsion at talking to the man climbed into his throat like bile. Now that he had his prize, there was little reason for him to communicate with Edward, but he would, just one last time.

He slid his thumb across the phone's display and placed it to his ear. There was a brief moment of silence and then Edward's voice, urgent and filled with relief, came at him.

"Bella!" Edward said. "Thank God, are you all right?"

James smiled, but maintained his silence. As much as he hated Edward, the man had been a source of entertainment for him these past five years. He had to admit, it would sadden him to end it, but the thought of his victory quickly erased any sentimentality he held towards his nemesis.

"Bella..." Edward called, a hysterical note in his voice. "Are you there?"

Edward's panic was like a shot of pure adrenaline to his charged system. _It's time_, he thought, his lips twisted into a sardonic smile. James cleared his throat and glanced once more at Bella before he spoke.

"I'm sorry, Edward, but Bella's unavailable right now," he said, trying to keep the glee from his voice. "Can I help you?"

There was silence for the space of a heartbeat. James strained his ears to hear what was going on the opposite end of the line, but there was nothing. Just more silence.

"James," Edward said finally, his voice steady. He no longer sounded worried but wary, alert. "Where's Bella? Is she okay?"

"Yes," James lied, glancing at Bella once more. "She's fine, just resting. You know, Edward, you really should keep a tighter leash on your girl. I was on my way to see you and I almost ran her over."

More silence. "Then I guess it's a good thing you found her," Edward said, succinctly. "We wouldn't want her to get hurt now would we, James?"

James stiffened. Edward's cautious tone alerted him to the fact that something was up. He had heard it too many times during his stint as Edward's partner. Edward knew something. Right now, he was certain that the man was stalling for time until he came up with a solution. He could almost hear the gears shifting in Edward's head.

_Is it possible that after all this time, he's has figured it out? _James wondered.

"We're really worried here," Edward said, his voice placating. "Why don't you tell me where you are so I can meet you?"

"Come on, Edward." James chuckled, his pretence coming to an abrupt end. "What kind of fool do you take me for?"

"I'm not sure what you mean," Edward said slowly.

"Don't fuck with me, Edward," he growled. "How long have you known about me?

James knew his direct question caught Edward off-guard. He glanced at the clock on the display. His time was running out. The team of FBI agents he suspected was stationed at Edward's house would be trying to triangulate the source of the signal from Bella's phone. He had another forty seconds before they locked on, but he would not need that long.

"Edward!" James barked. "I asked you a question."

"Long enough," Edward said, his voice still friendly. "But it doesn't have to be like this, Jimmy. Let me meet you and we can talk." Edward paused. "Get you the help you need..."

James burst into laughter. So, Edward thought him to be some mental, head-case who was in need of a few couch sessions. Maybe group therapy, medication, and then everything would be fine after that? Edward was the one who need the therapy if he thought he had a remote chance in hell of handling this situation.

"First thing, Edward, my name is not Jimmy, James, or whatever the fuck you choose to call me. You worked with me for five years and you have no clue who I am," he spat. "Second, don't try to talk me down. I am neither mentally compromised nor have an ethical disability. And lastly, don't try to cut a deal. I have everything I want—now."

With that, James disconnected the call, rolled the window down, and flung the phone outside. He slammed his fist into the steering wheel. He was so angry that he felt like turning the car around, going to Edward's house, and emptying every bullet in his gun into that smug, self-assured son-of-a-bitch. How dare he try to play with his mind?

_I'm the one in charge_! James floored the accelerator. The car sped down the dark street and rounded a corner with the whine of rubber against asphalt.

Edward Cullen had no idea who he was dealing with, but soon, he would. He didn't care how long it took; he would finish the job he started that night four years ago when he put a bullet into Edward's chest. But for now, he would content himself with Bella. Her pain and fear would be the balm to soothe his bruised and wounded ego.

He reached over and ran his index finger along her jaw. Her skin was soft and warm. He grew hard just thinking of the various types of punishments he would dole out to her. By the time he finished with her, she would be completely broken and begging for him to kill her. Only then would he end her suffering. Only then, would he be free.

**11:55pm**

_There was a muffled thwacking sound, a sharp bark of pain, and then blinding pain tore through her leg. _He_had shot her. The pain exploded inside her body and radiated outwards, wringing a tortured scream from her lips. _

_She tried to crawl away, but he was on her before she could force her paralysed body to obey her. The handle of the gun connected with her head, and for one brief moment, everything went black. She prayed that this would be the end, but it was not to be. When next she opened her eyes, he was standing over her, his cold grey eyes staring at her with such malice that it chilled her all the way to her core. But then something strange happened. As she continued to stare into his eyes, one of them changed colour from grey to hazel. She had seen eyes like that before, but she couldn't remember where. And at this time, the point was moot. She was about to die._

_"Why are you doing this?" she asked, her heart pounding against her ribs._

_"It's what I do," he said with chilling finality and squeezed the trigger._

_A split second before the bullet made contact with her body, she was yanked upwards and out of the dream. _

Bella opened her eyes and quickly shut them when the world tilted precariously around her. A wave of nausea crashed over her causing her to inhale sharply. As the phantom pain deep inside her chest and leg slowly ebbed away, so did the urge to throw up. Her heart was still beating wildly, but she knew this was reality.

She lay there with the cool sheet against her cheek and tried to get her bearings. Bella felt as if her brain was immersed in a soupy fog that wove thicker the more she struggled to remember.

_Why do I feel like a truck ran over my head?_ she wondered, a dull throbbing headache weaving behind her eyeballs.

Bella slowed her breathing, and as her adrenaline plummeted, it became easier to remember. The fog cleared and then it all came rushing back. Her attack, the faceless man chasing her through the house. But, he was no longer faceless; a complete stranger hell bent on her destruction. She knew him. _James_. The revelation should have come as a shock to her, but it didn't. Subconsciously, she had known all along. That was why she always perceived him as a threat. This last memory was the key that finally unlocked the door to the truth.

Bella steeled herself against the vertigo she was expecting and slowly forced her eyes open. The harsh light in the room made her eyes tear, but thankfully, the wall in front her remained steady. Time was of the essence. She tried to sit up, but she couldn't move. Something rough cut into her wrists, and when she tried to move her legs, they felt like lead. A frustrated sob escaped her lips.

"Well, it's about time you woke up," a familiar voice said, mocking her.

Bella gasped and looked in the direction of the voice. James sat in a chair across the room, his mismatched eyes trained on her. The smile touching his lips was at complete odds with what she saw in his eyes. They were cold, calculating, and devoid of anything human.

"_You!_" she said, venomously. "You shot me."

James looked surprised, but quickly composed his features to give nothing away. He reached into his pocket and extracted a pack of cigarettes and a lighter. Knocking one from the pack, he brought it to his lips and quickly lit it. He inhaled a few times before he returned his attention to her.

"Yes, I did," he said, matter-of-factly. "But, you didn't die like you were supposed to."

"So sorry to disappoint you," Bella seethed, the heady scent of tobacco burning the back of her nostrils. "I'll try to live up to your expectations next time." She tried to move her legs again and this time, she succeeded in rolling from her stomach onto her left side. Tingles of sensation slowly came back to her limbs. However, her bound hands were trapped beneath her body. A sharp pain shot up her arm and into her shoulder as the tingles transformed into a rush of sensation.

James flicked the half-smoked cigarette onto the wooden floor and crushed it with the toe of his boot. He stood and came over to her. Bella tried to shrink away from James' outstretched hand, but he grabbed the back of her shirt and yanked her roughly into a sitting position. Her head and arms protested against the quick ascent and she glared at him.

"You know," he said, positioning her roughly against the wall beside the bed. "You've caused me quite a bit of trouble."

Bella was sure her expression said it all. _Like I care. _

James fingered a lock of her hair and trailed his finger across her cheek. "If you had just died that night like you were supposed to, everything would be fine now." He chuckled. "But you were always the stubborn type."

Bella tried to yank her head away from his hand, but James grabbed a fistful of her hair and forced her to keep her head still. A pain shot through her pounding skull and a soft whimper escaped her. New tears welled in her eyes, but she quickly blinked them away. She would not give James the satisfaction of seeing her cry.

"Why are you doing this?" she whispered as James tightened his hold on her hair. He brought his face closer to hers. His breath, a mixture of peppermint and tobacco, fanned against her cheek. "Is it money you're after?"

James froze and his lips turned up at the corners. "Money? Bella, my love, you insult me."

The intimate tone of James' voice slid across Bella's skin like the caress of barbed wire. She felt sick. James' little endearments were out of place and terrified her, but she used bravado to hide her fear.

"Then what is it?" she spat, shifting slightly to relieve the pressure on her shoulders. She wiggled her fingers and felt the hard plastic of the cable tie brush against them. She glanced briefly at her legs and saw that they endured the same fate. "What have I done to you to make you hate me?" James was silent as he continued to stare at her. "What? Tell me. What is this all about?" Bella demanded, her voice rising in pitch and intensity.

James looked amused. "I don't hate you, Bella. Quite the opposite, really." He frowned. "It's actually been rather inconvenient for me." He relaxed his grip, but his fingers remained buried in the strands of her hair, caressing them like a lover.

Terror wove cold fingers around her spine, leaving her paralysed as the meaning of James' words sunk in. Could it be possible? Was James admitting that he had feelings for her other than hatred? Renewed desperation welled up inside her. She had to escape. There was no telling what sick, twisted plan James had in mind. She had to keep her head, remain calm, and bide her time until an opportunity presented itself. Otherwise, she had no chance.

By now, Edward must have realised she was gone. He and the rest of the Cullens were probably out looking for her, but they would never find her because she was with James, in only God-knows-where. What a fool she was. In her haste to escape her pain, she picked up Chester and left. There was no trail pointing to where she had gone.

_Chester!_ Where was he? Had James hurt him? Her eyes darted frantically around the room in search of her beloved pet.

"Chester," she whispered, fear for her pet's safety gnawing away at her. "Where is he? What did you do to him?"

James smirked. "He's probably playing fetch with that other mutt you had,"

"_You bastard!_" Bella screamed, trying to yank her hair from James' grasp. The tears she had been managing to keep at bay overflowed.

James' face became impassive. A vein pulsed in his right temple. He released her hair and slapped her hard across the face. Pain exploded in her jaw as she slid across the wall and slumped face first onto the bed. Before she could recover, James was there, his hand raised to deliver another blow. This time however, he didn't hit her, but wrapped his hand around the exposed area of her throat and squeezed, forcing her face into the layers of the mattress.

Bella coughed as the flow of air into her lungs diminished and her vision grew dark. She tried to pull away, but she felt herself lose strength until none was left in her. Just before she surrendered to the darkness, James abruptly released her. She gasped and wretched as oxygen flooded her starved lungs and her vision became clear again. James stood over her, a triumphant look on his face.

"Don't you ever call me a bastard again," he snarled. "Because next time, I just might show you how much of a bastard I can be." He turned and strode from the room, slamming the door behind him.

The sharp click of the lock sliding into place was like a gunshot in the otherwise quiet room. Bella listened until James' footsteps faded away. Only then did she allow herself to fall apart.

**Day Two, 5:00am**

Bella had been missing for twelve hours. Twelve long hours with nothing but dead ends. The last hit from the cell tower placed Bella's location just east of Poulsbo, but based on the amount of time that elapsed since then, she could be anywhere by now. There was an APB out on James and Bella, but so far it was like they had both disappeared off the face of the planet.

Shortly after Shannon and the rest of the FBI team's arrival at the house, the profilers delivered their verdict. James was labelled as extremely volatile and unstable with a higher than average IQ. It had taken all of Edward's strength not to throw the report back in their faces. He needed useful information, not something he already knew.

James had carried on this charade for five years. Edward tried to think of anything James might have let slip during that time and give them an idea as to his location. But there was nothing and that brought with it the realisation that he knew very little, if anything, about his partner. He visited his apartment once and remembered James telling him about his sister who lived back east. But that was all, and he was certain none of it was true. James never spoke about his childhood, where he was raised, or even where he had gone to school. The man was as much an enigma now as when they first met.

Edward rubbed the back of his neck, inhaled, and turned away from the laptop's screen. A while ago the words had begun to blend together and were now completely indecipherable.

The real James Wynters had disappeared eight years ago. The man had no family, and therefore no one had reported him missing. He just never showed up for work, and it was assumed that he wandered off. Now they knew that more than likely, the man was disposed of by another who assumed his identity.

Edward shook his head. Without even the slightest of leads, they did not have a hope in hell of finding out _James'_ true identity. Not even the fingerprints on file proved useful to them. They just led them to a dead man.

The fact that someone managed to infiltrate the FBI was bad enough, but what made the situation worse was the discovery that many of the cases where witnesses had suddenly disappeared or ended up dead were assigned to Edward and James. The chilling conclusion was that James was responsible for dispatching the witnesses for a price. There was no other explanation. James was a hired gun. A chameleon, whose sole purpose was to ingratiate himself into people's lives and then destroy them. It was exactly what he had done to Edward and his family. What he had done to the witnesses before snuffing their lives out.

Edward silently grieved for the people he had failed to keep safe—Michael Danvers, Susan Collins, and Tony Perry, all people he was in charge of protecting. Edward swallowed. And now, Bella. As a professional, this case should be no different, but it was. The stakes were higher, the situation way more personal. James knew this. It was the main reason why he had taken Bella.

How could he not see the man for what he truly was? So many lives could have been spared if he just pulled his head out of his ass and paid more attention. Guilt ate away at Edward. He wanted to kill James. He had played them all for fools and now that he had shown his true colours, Bella was once again caught in the middle.

"Edward," Shannon said, coming up behind him. "You need to get some rest. You've been going non-stop since this began."

Edward blinked and focused on the man. To Edward, his boss' face seemed to have aged by ten years in the few hours since he arrived. Shannon too, was taking this hard. He felt personally responsible for James' deceit.

Edward shook his head. "I'm okay," he lied, ignoring the cup of coffee Shannon offered. The smell made him feel slightly nauseated and his stomach recoiled.

Shannon frowned and put down the cup beside Edward's laptop with more force than was necessary. The liquid inside sloshed dangerously close to the rim before it settled.

"Don't give me that bull," Shannon snapped. "When was the last time you ate or slept?"

"I'll sleep when we find Bella or when I'm dead," Edward growled, standing abruptly. "Whichever comes first." He turned away, needing to put as much distance between himself and his supervisor. The last thing he needed was to be "handled."

Shannon's hand on Edward's shoulder delayed his departure. "Edward, you can't continue like this. You're no use to us or Bella if you run yourself into the ground."

Edward was about to tell Shannon to mind his own business when a soft voice coming from the doorway stopped him. He turned to find his mother standing there, her eyes red, her hands shoved into the pockets of her robe.

"He's right, Edward," Esme said, firmly. New lines creased her face, and her hair, which was usually tidy, looked dishevelled. "You need to get some rest. Otherwise I'm going to have your father sedate you."

Edward gave his mother a hard look, but Esme stood her ground. Eventually, Edward's shoulders slumped in defeat, and he stalked angrily from the room and up the stairs.

He slammed the door to his bedroom so hard that it vibrated on its hinges. He paced back and forth across the floor until his eyes caught sight of a red fabric draped over the back of the armchair. It was the shirt Bella was wearing the last time he saw her.

Something twisted painfully in his chest, and before he knew it, he was sitting on the floor, the shirt to his face, sobbing into the soft material. The scents of lavender and vanilla coupled with Bella's natural perfume were faint, but instead of it bringing its usual soothing calm, it made him cry even harder. He cried for Bella, he cried for their relationship, he cried for his stupidity, but most of all, he cried for Hayley. Four years, and this was the first time he let himself truly grieve for the beautiful little girl that he and Bella lost.

He was so steeped in his misery that he never heard the door open. He only realised he was no longer alone when Alice sat beside him. He looked into her grey eyes. Her pupils were rimmed with red, and her skin was pale with the exception of blotches on her nose and cheeks.

Alice reached out and tugged the shirt from his grasp. When he released his hold, she entwined her fingers with his and laid her head on his shoulder. The shirt lay between them, a cruel reminder of the events of the past hours.

"I'm sorry," she said, softly. "I'm sorry that I let Bella down. Let you down."

Edward stared at her in disbelief. "W-what are you talking about?"

Alice sniffed. "Bella knew I never liked him, but I never told her how much. I should have. Then maybe she'd have kept her distance,"

Edward shook his head. "No, Alice. None of this is your fault. If there's anyone to blame, it's me. I was the one keeping secrets. I was the one who never dealt with Hayley's death. I'm the reason Bella ran off," he inhaled deeply. "If I had just dealt with everything when I should have, none of this would have happened. Bella would be here with us. Not somewhere out there, alone, frightened, in pain." He sobbed. "She would be safe."

Edward didn't know how long they sat there drawing comfort from each other, but the next thing he knew, someone was gently shaking him awake. Daylight streamed through the bedroom windows. He looked up to see Emmett and Jasper standing over them. Alice was lying on her side, her back to him, her cheek cushioned by her hand. Jasper gently lifted her into his arms. He gave Edward an understanding nod and then swept out of the room.

"What time is it?" Edward asked, sitting up and rubbing his gritty eyes with the heels of his hands.

"Ten o'clock," Emmett said, plunking himself down beside him.

Edward looked surprised. He moved to stand, but Emmett put his hand on his shoulder, forcing him to stay put. Edward threw Emmett a dirty look.

"How could you let me sleep for so long?" he demanded, furiously. "What if something had happened?"

Emmett shook his head. "Nothing's changed. There's still no sign of Bella or _James._" Emmett said James' name as if it was something poisonous. "The vet called. Chester's in serious condition, but they expect him to pull through."

Edward leaned his head back and gave a sigh of relief. That was the first piece of good news he had heard since this entire fiasco began. When Emmett brought a bloodied and barely breathing Chester home, Carlisle had done the best he could to keep him alive until the vet arrived. If Bella returned to find their pet gone, she would be even more devastated. Edward caught himself and straightened. _If?_ There were no _ifs_ about Bella returning. It was a matter of_when_. Bella would return to them and he would do whatever it took to make it a reality...even if that meant forfeiting his own life.

**Day 2, 7:32am**

James escorted Bella to the table and shoved her roughly into one of the four chairs around it. He chained her weak leg to the table and secured it with a padlock, then stepped back to examine his handy work.

"Just in case you had any smart ideas about trying to escape again," he said, giving her a superior look. Bella stared at him, but did not answer. "So, what'll it be?" he asked, going over to the refrigerator. He yanked the door open and stuck his head inside. "We've got eggs, bacon, and fruit."

Bella took the opportunity to look around. The kitchen was medium-sized with modern appliances. She knew the door they had entered through led to a hallway with "her" room at the end. She caught a glimpse of a set of stairs to a second floor, through another open doorway.

The naggings of a headache began at the base of her skull and quickly attacked her temples. She was familiar with that feeling. It usually signalled the return one of her memories, but why now? Was the trauma of her event revealing more of her past to her? As much as she wanted her memories, she would gladly give them up now. She needed to focus, and a memory movie or a headache left her more vulnerable.

After James' departure last night, she stayed awake, too afraid to fall asleep. She used the time to try, in vain, to find a solution to her problem. This was James' game and all she could do was wait until she saw an opening and try to escape. But would that happen before James made his final move? He had been planning this for some time. Maybe as far back as when she returned from Canada.

"Bella!" James said sharply. She jumped. He was watching her expectantly. "I asked you a question. What do you want?"

_To get out of here_, was her automatic response, but she swallowed the retort. It would do her no good to exacerbate the situation by being belligerent. Her aching jaw reminded her of what would happen if she did.

"Nothing," she said flatly, expecting him to go off in a blind rage again. He didn't. He just ignored her and grabbed a few items from the fridge.

Within twenty minutes, James whipped up a breakfast of scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast for them. He set a plate and a glass of orange juice in front of her. He then returned to his side of the table and began to dig into his meal.

Bella stared at the food before her and felt her stomach rumble. She was starving, but she would rather die than touch it. Logic told her to eat and keep up her strength so that when the opportunity to escape presented itself, she would be strong enough to take it. But her emotions and hatred for James outweighed logic. If she ate it, it signified that he won. That everything he had done to her and her family was right. That whatever he planned to do to her was acceptable.

James was half way through his food before he realised Bella hadn't touched hers. He sat up slowly and placed his fork on the table. He frowned.

"Eat," he ordered, pointing to her plate with his index finger.

Bella continued to stare at him in silence and would have crossed her arms across her chest if her wrists weren't bound.

"No, thank you," she said coldly. "I'm not hungry."

"Liar," he spat, rising from the table. He leaned over and grabbed her by the collar of the shirt he gave her to replace her bloodied one. He jerked her up towards him, almost knocking the glass of juice over. The chain at her ankle yanked painfully on her leg, but she ignored it. "You can either eat it willingly or I'll make you. Your choice," he growled, pushing her back into the chair.

Bella sighed and nodded. The last thing she wanted was him touching her. However, she held up her hands and gestured to them with a nod of her head.

"If you want me to eat, then you'll have to free my hands," she said craftily, the beginnings of a plan forming in her mind. If she could catch him off-guard and knock him out, then maybe she had a chance of escaping.

James snorted. "Come now, Bella, do I look like an idiot to you?"

Bella's heart sank as James extracted a pair of handcuffs from his pants pocket. He then took the knife from beside his plate, and came around to her side. She flinched when he brought the knife towards her. He smiled, and placing the blade of the knife under the hard plastic of the cable tie, cut her restraints. Angry, red welts marred the pale skin of her wrists, but before Bella could thoroughly examine the damage, he grabbed her right wrist, snapped on the handcuff, and tethered her to one of the columns of the chair.

Whistling merrily, he reclaimed his seat opposite her and picked up his fork. He gestured for her to pick up hers. When she took the first mouthful, he relaxed and continued eating.

As Bella carefully chewed her food, the ache in her head increased. The food churned uncomfortably in her stomach, but she continued eating. She prayed that she wouldn't throw up right there. Needing a distraction, she glanced over at the stairs and gasped as a vision of a woman dressed in a sweater and jeans ascended the stairs, a little girl cradled in her arms. The child moaned and the woman muttered soothing words. The words filled her with dread. _"Shhh, Belly. Mommy won't leave you."_ She recognised the woman and the child from the vision. It was her mother and a younger version of herself.

Bella's fork clattered to the plate, and she stared in horror as the vision vanished, leaving behind a feeling of displacement and grief. She remembered those stairs, this house. As she looked around the room, it seemed to change before her very eyes. The wallpaper changed colour; the refrigerator was no longer stainless-steel, but classic white. The pantry door was gone, along with the array of copper bottomed pots and pans she knew used to be housed above the sink. Her mother treasured those, as they were the last gift her father gave her before he died. Beads of sweat erupted on Bella's forehead as she grappled with the realisation of where she was.

"Where are we?" she croaked, feeling her vision blur. The food that went down with great difficulty before began its slow climb up her esophagus. "James, _where are we_?" Her frantic voice sounded as if it emerged from the end of a long, narrow tunnel.

James gave her a smug smile, but she didn't need his answer to confirm what she already knew. She was back in Forks. Back in the house she grew up in. He had brought her home to kill her.


	36. UPDATE

**_Dear Readers_**

**_First let me extend my heartfelt apologies. I know that I have kept you hanging on for an extended period of time where the updates for this story is concerned, but I must say up front that I have no intention of abandoning A Second Chance at Love, NONE._**

**_For the past few months, I have been creating the ending of this story, but I was not satisfied with what I produced. Due to this, I had problems connecting with my characters. I am pleased to say that this is no longer a problem and I am currently taking the story in the direction in which it deserves._**

**_On that note, I feel the need to let you know that I have decided to complete the last four chapters in their entirety before I upload. This will alleviate the long wait between chapters and the disappointment of having another interruption in the posting time line._**

**_To all those who have contacted me and shown me that my work is appreciated, thank you. Sometimes we all need that kick in the ass which lets us know that not only do our actions affect us, but others as well. I have been getting loads of emails recently, but due to family and work commitments, I have been unable to respond as I would have liked. I have also been very ill and I am still in the recovery process. Be that as it may, I won't allow anything to get in the way of my completing A Second Chance._**

**_Once again I thank you for your continued support and I look forward to bringing this story to a satisfactory conclusion._**

**_Sam (Dragon1974UK)_**


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